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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22700632">Wired in</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnotherSamlicker/pseuds/JustAnotherSamlicker'>JustAnotherSamlicker</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Office, Drama &amp; Romance, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Fluff, Getting Together, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, IT-er Gabriel, M/M, Manager Sam, Manipulation, Misunderstandings, Office Romance, Revenge, Secret Relationship, Slow Burn, one mention of physical violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:20:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>75,620</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22700632</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnotherSamlicker/pseuds/JustAnotherSamlicker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel works at the IT department of Morningstar Inc. His department is usually pretty looked down upon by the higher ups. Even his manager, Charlie, isn't able to arrange a meeting about the high security risks that come with the roll-out of a new program.<br/>Their luck changes when the manager of the legal department needs help fighting a zombie infestation on his computer and Gabriel goes up there for a laugh. Sam wants to know more about the risks they're facing and puts an effort into making sure Gabriel and his team will be heard.</p><p>Of course there is no victory without sacrifice. To fight for their voice in the company, Gabriel will have to keep himself upright in a whirlwind of political games and ploys. All while fighting his ever growing feelings for the man that made it all possible in the first place.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gabriel/Sam Winchester, Other pairings, Ruby/Sam Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>130</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>98</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gabriel sighed as he handled one of the tickets that had just come in.  He loved working in IT, but he had expected to do more development. Instead, most of his days were filled with the mind numbing task of responding to tickets from users that weren't always as tech-savvy as Gabriel had suspected from a professional working environment. It didn't help that his team of two people plus manager, had to facilitate IT services for the more than 500 employees of Morningstar Inc.</p><p>In fairness, he couldn't complain to much. Charlie, his manager, knew Gabriel's passion was in development. She made sure to give him some extra assignments whenever possible. He was also working in an amazing, if slightly too small, team. It was nice to just have a place where he could be himself. And even if he didn't enjoy 70% of his workload, the rest of it was enough to keep him motivated. </p><p>The place itself wasn't all that amazing. At least, not the office space that Morningstar Inc. had allocated to the IT department.<br/>Their office, that they dubbed 'The Cave' was nothing more than a windowless room on the second floor. It was a small and stuffed with spare monitors and keyboards. They had settled on keeping them in the IT-office, since a bunch of people got annoyed if they had to go all the way to the supply closet on the third floor. </p><p>Despite the lack of proper ventilation and the heat coming in from the processor room, the place felt like home. And the people he shared it with weren't just colleagues, by now he considered them to be his friends. Balthazar and Charlie were both very close to the IT stereotype weirdness, but very far from the isolated introverts some thought they'd be. They were both already working there when Gabriel started, but he had felt accepted and included since day one.  </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel's desk was opposite that of Balthazar and behind him sat Charlie. Despite being the manager of the department, she always helped out with the regular day to day jobs. She said it had to do with the department being so small, but Gabriel suspected she also liked the actual work more than she liked her role as a manager.</p><p>Charlie and Balthazar were essentially nerds, just like Gabriel. Their office was decorated to reflect their interest. The walls were covered with posters, there were little trinkets of movies and series on every flat surface. Charlie had a funko pop of Hermione on her desk, which she talked to out loud.</p><p>Today was Balthazar's day off, so it was just Gabriel and Charlie supporting the whole company. Although they always managed to get through the work by the end of the day, those days were usually pretty tiring. Tickets came in constantly, usually they were easy enough to fix. Problems with VPN's that wouldn't connect, screens that wouldn't behave or emails that wouldn't send. Sometimes there were fun ones, and judging by the laugh Charlie let out, she found one of those. </p><p>"I'm not sure what happened here, but this is a special one." She exclaimed. </p><p>Gabriel swirled around in his desk chair to look at the ticket on Charlie's screens. "Special good or special bad?" He inquired before starting to read it. </p><p>"Special special."  She answered, moving out of the way. Someone, Sam Winchester apparently, said that whenever he'd open his email, a zombie appeared on screen to jump scare him instead. </p><p>"I need to see this." Gabriel said. He knew Charlie wouldn't care to go to the legal department and even though he could probably fix it with a screen-share, he was too curious to find out what had happen. "Are you okay manning the fort for a little? I think I'm going to go up there."</p><p>"It's all the same to me, whether you fix it from here or go up there. It needs fixing either way." She reasoned. "But I'm not sure you want to go get yelled at. If I remember Sam correctly he's nice enough during meetings, but you know how those higher-ups can be."  </p><p>"That's why I'm going in person." He argued. "I can't think of anything more cathartic then seeing one of those three-piece suits, scared shitless by a zombie jumpscare." He hummed amused. Even if the guy was going to be a dick, the image would surely be worth it. </p><p> </p><p class="">There was a world of difference between the legal department and the IT-department. Where Gabriel was used to the small, musky room, the legal department had a large shared office spanning the whole floor. Gabriel was most blinded as he stepped out of the elevator. The tall and broad windows that made up half of each wall provided a lot of natural light. There were plants on the filing cabinets and there was a large painting on one of the the walls. </p><p class="">Gabriel looked around the space, searching for the head of the department. He quickly noted Sam's name on the door of the office in the corner. Immediately after he knocked, he got permission to enter. He didn't always use to bother with stuff like that, but after enough people had gotten angry at him, he decided it wasn't worth the trouble not to knock. </p><p class="">As he walked in, he was caught up in the view. The office was bright as well, with two windowed walls looking out over a beautiful skyline. It was also larger than most managers had to make due with and Gabriel wondered if it might be larger than the room he shared with his two colleagues. </p><p class=""> </p><p class="">"Sam Winchester?" Gabriel asked, still distracted by his surroundings. </p><p class="">"What can I help you with." </p><p class="">"I'm Gabriel, the IT guy... I'm here to fight the zombie."  Gabriel couldn't help a slight grin at what he considered to be a very funny remark. The other laughed as well and the sound drew Gabriel's attention. The office looked impressive, but it was nothing compared to the guy manning it.</p><p class="">Gabriel had to make an effort not to let his eyes wander over the guy for too long. Every inch of him looked strong and confident, but he didn't seem intimidating, like most managers tried to be. If anything, he almost looked embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his neck as he got up. "I'm glad you were able to get up here so fast. I uh... I think I've got a virus or something."</p><p class="">"Let's see about that. It's certainly the most interesting ticket I've seen in months." Gabriel admitted. He looked up at Sam, trying to access whether or not he was in for a friendly chat. The man's eyes caught him off guard, the beautiful green reflexed in the sunlight, but then, as Gabriel walked closer to set up, they seemed hazel again. <br/><br/>"Should I get you a chair, maybe something to drink?" Sam offered, already setting himself apart from most of the managers. They were usually just annoyed whenever someone from IT decided they needed to be in physical proximity instead of fixing the problem remotely from inside The Cave. </p><p class="">"A chair would be nice." Gabriel agreed as he opened Outlook, only for a very vivid and gross jumpscare of a zombie to pop up before closing again. Even though he had been warned, he still jumped back at the image and the accompanied sound. The sound had been the most unexpected. </p><p class="">Sam laughed. "Yeah, I jumped as well first time it happened." </p><p class="">He offered Gabriel his own desk chair, offering to stand. Gabriel took the chair, now feeling even smaller as he sat down next to a giant. </p><p class="">"Nothing wrong with a good scream if you ask me..."  He smirked, then realized who he was trying to flirt with. Not only was this the head of one of the most valued departments of Morningstar Inc., it was also possibly the most clear cut example of a straight guy. If his suit, function, looks and soulcycle gym bag didn't scream out that he was into women, the desktop picture of him and presumably his girlfriend was a good indication as well. </p><p class="">Luckily, Sam didn't seem to mind the comment. "How about I pretend like you didn't say that." He grinned, lifting an eyebrow. "Is there anything I can help you with.?"</p><p class="">Gabriel could think of quite a few things he wouldn't mind the other helping him with... "No, thank you." He answered instead before he started trouble shooting. </p><p class="">As he ran a virus scanner Sam made some small talk. After the usual topics of traffic and the weather, Sam switched to something more work related. He complimented the IT team on the new roll out of their customer portal, and Gabriel was surprised to receive praise. He was impressed at how much Sam knew about the new features. It was probably best to just take the compliment with a nod and a smile, but he couldn't pass up an opportunity like this. Sam was the first person with actual power on an executive level that seemed interested in the programs the company used. </p><p class=""> </p><p class="">He hummed, casually looking up from the screen with a confused face. "I'm surprised legal is happy with it."</p><p class="">"Why is that?" Sam asked with a slight frown.</p><p class="">Gabriel wondered if this guy was just playing dumb or if none of Charlie's warnings had actually made it to the boardroom. "Because of the security problems in the logging. We've done what we could with the options given, but with the way the current program functions there is no way to stop an average hacker from getting all our user data. I'm guessing that will lead to quite a few legal problems."</p><p class="">"This is the first I've heard of this."</p><p class="">"Charlie has been trying to get it on the meeting schedule ever since we started preparing for the roll out." Gabriel told him, finally looking up.</p><p class="">Sam looked back at him confused. Gabriel ignored him for a second as the virus scanner came back empty.</p><p class="">"How much of a risk is it exactly?" Sam asked after a short moment of silence. Gabriel listed all the problems they were currently facing with the software, all the while trying to solve the issue with Outlook.</p><p class="">Sam listen to Gabriel's explanation. Gabriel had thought these issues would be known to him, but the man seemed to be caught completely off guard. "It's a good thing you brought this to my attention. Maybe we should talk about it some more and you can show me some examples. I'll set up a meeting if that's okay." He offered. </p><p class="">Gabriel nodded, surprise to see how willing Sam was to listen. "Sounds good. But first we need to get into your Outlook calendar again to schedule it." He laughed.</p><p class=""> </p><p class="">He found the problem a bit later after running the taks master. It wasn't a virus, it was a prank program made to look like Outlook. All the shortcuts to Outlook had been removed and replaced by this pranking software that played the jumpscare. </p><p class="">It was still weird, but at least he now knew the cause. Gabriel told Sam, but also told him he had no idea where this came from. </p><p class="">Sam started to laugh. "I think I know where it came from...."  He admitted. "We have this thing, to make sure everyone locks their screens. Whenever a screen isn't locked, it gets messed with. Usually it's just email send to everyone in the department promising cake or changing the background to Shrek, but I'm guessing this is the next level. It's kind of a prank, but it ensures that people remember to lock their laptops, so sensitive information isn't just out in the open." </p><p class="">Gabriel looked at him a bit surprised but laughed. "I'm guessing your cake isn't that great if they switched to this." He joked, making Sam laugh in return. </p><p class="">"That would explain it. I think it's because I told them that I hate Halloween. They just wanted to scare me." <br/><br/>Gabriel was glad Sam took it all so well and wasn't screaming and shouting at his staff for wasting his time. In fact, he apologized to Gabriel for wasting his time. Gabriel waved it away saying he was just doing his job, but also telling Sam that if he wanted to make it up to Gabriel he could include him next time there was cake. Sam nodded and smiled as Gabriel left. </p><p class=""> </p><p class=""> </p><p class="">When Gabriel got back to the cave, Charlie looked at him with a curious smile. "That took a while... Did you fix it?" She asked straight away. </p><p class="">Gabriel nodded. "It's not a virus. It was some prank. The guy left his laptop unlocked and someone from his team put it on there." He explained, grinning a little. </p><p class="">Charlie quirked an eyebrow. "So, who's getting fired for that one?" </p><p class="">"No one, the guy could laugh about it." Gabriel told her. </p><p class="">"Sam's always been the most reasonable person during board meetings." She concluded as she turned back to face her screens. </p><p class="">"Oh he was more than reasonable..." Gabriel smirked, making her spin right back around in her chair to face him. </p><p class="">"Do tell..." She asked amused.  </p><p class="">Gabriel let himself fall back in his desk chair. "God Char, this guy was hot."</p><p class="">She grinned. "So, you're going to be called up more now...?" She teased, wiggling her eyebrows. </p><p class="">"Yeah, no... He is like a model straight guy. He looks like he coaches his daughters soccer team in the weekends and mows the grass on Sundays."</p><p class="">"Gay guys can do that too." Charlie argued, but they both knew what Gabriel meant, this wasn't the kind of guy that moved away from the norm.</p><p class="">Gabriel shook his head. "Yeah, not that the pictures of his girlfriend would be the best sign either."  </p><p class=""><br/>"Oh right, her..."  Charlie rolled her eyes. "Trust me, he'd be better off with you."  </p><p class="">Gabriel laughed as he got back to work. Sam might not be interested in him, but it was something to occupy his mind with. He had almost forgotten that Sam had been interested in hearing more about the verification systems, until he received and email alert. He smirked as he turned to Charlie. "Guess who's got a date..." </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gabriel wasn't nervous perse for his meeting with Sam. But he did feel a sort of pressure to make it go well. Charlie had been trying to schedule a meeting with the board of directors for a long time and she had gotten nowhere. Lucifer, the CEO, kept insisting there was no room on the agenda, or the topic didn't fit in with the rest of the talking points. It was clear they just didn't want to hear the concerns, because once they did, they would have to act on them. That would mean broadening the IT budget, and that just wasn't something the board was up for.</p><p>Apparently Lucifer had kept the news to himself, since Sam didn't even seem to be aware of the problem. Getting Sam interested was most likely the only way to raise awareness over all and promote the set up they'd been working on to replace the current measures. If they could just get some extra hands to help with the tickets, or some extra hours, they could finish the program and implement it, probably within a year.</p><p> </p><p>At first Gabriel argued with Charlie that she would probably have more sway with Sam, due to her position as head of IT. But since Sam had scheduled the meeting with Gabriel specifically, Charlie insisted he should go. Gabriel had worked on the roll out and he was the one that spotted the problem in the first place, so he had a right to present it according to Charlie. She did warn him to not get drool on his laptop while presenting their solution to Sam. He grinned, asking what other kind of fluids would be allowed, which made her cringe and laugh at the same time. <br/><br/>"If it doesn't end well, I'm going to blame that horny mind of yours." She warned Gabriel. </p><p>"That's the only mind I've got." He countered with a laugh. </p><p>Despite the teasing, she apparently did find it necessary to make Gabriel promise to behave. He was a tease and quite a flirt, but he promised that he wouldn't scare Sam away with his general attitude. In a softer voice he assured her he understood how important this meeting was. That seemed to calm Charlie down a bit. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The meeting was that Thursday, which gave Gabriel two days to work on a powerpoint presentation. He stayed late to make sure it was simple, concise and right to the point. Although nerves caught up with him when he thought of the importance of the presentation, he didn't dislike the feeling. He finally felt like his work mattered, and he hadn't really been made to feel like that since he started at Morningstar Inc. Of course he mattered to the rest of his team. But in the company as a whole, all three of them were seen as a necessary nuisance.</p><p> </p><p>When Thursday came around, Gabriel had the whole presentation finished and memorized. If this went well, he might be able to convince Sam to move forward with the project he and his team had been working on for months. </p><p>The meeting was scheduled for 2pm, which meant he had to put an effort into keeping his good clothes stain free during lunch. Instead of his usual ironic hoodies, he was wearing his fancy button up shirt. Of course Charlie and Balth teased him about it, but Charlie did take the time to thank him for putting in the effort.  </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel arrived to the meeting room half an hour early. He wanted to make sure everything was set up properly, even though setting up was as easy as connecting his laptop and turning on the big screen. </p><p>When the door opened 5 minutes before the meeting would start, Gabriel looked up instantly. Sam looked at good as Gabriel remembered, and he started to realize that might have played into his nervousness as well. He knew there was no way their meeting could ever turn into something happening between him and Sam, but it was still hard to ignore those dreamy eyes, or the way Sam's shirt clung to his obviously chiseled torso. </p><p>Apparently Sam was looking him over as well. "You look fancy." He noted before sitting down.</p><p>Gabriel could feel the heat in his cheeks rising, but he refused to blush. "Yeah, I figured I should probably put some effort into impressing you." He grinned. Playful charm had always been one of Gabriel's secret weapons. </p><p>Sam chuckled at that. "I can't say I'm not flattered or that it's not working, but there's no need for that. Not with me." His words seemed sincere, especially those last words. "I'm interested to hear your thoughts, no matter how you choose to present them." </p><p>"So I might as well do it naked?" It left Gabriel's mouth before he realized he even thought of the comeback. He wasn't sure what it was about Sam, but he felt like he was talking to an equal. He was used to talk like that around Charlie and Baltazar, and he moved into that state too easily when talking to Sam. He couldn't just turn it off, even when he really should. His face contoured for a second, but he made sure to hold his grin, like he didn't regret the words. There was no glory in backpedaling after all. If anything, it would add an awkwardness that might not be necessary. </p><p>Apparently playing it off worked, since Sam let out a loud laugh. "If anyone would walk in on that, we'd probably both lose our jobs." He grinned. Gabriel smirked, glad Sam could take a joke. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"That reminds me, Ruby wanted to meet you as well."  Sam told him. His laugh didn't falter, but Gabriel could see him plucking at his nails as he said it. "I told her about this meeting and she didn't know who you were, but I'm sure once you guys meet, you'll hit it off. You have very similar humor although I do have to warn you, she can get a bit jealous if you say things like that." He chuckled. </p><p>Gabriel smirked a little when he realized that Sam had apparently talked about him or at least about the project.</p><p>"I'm guessing Ruby is your girlfriend then?" He concluded. He couldn't help but wonder if Sam brought her up, just to remind Gabriel he wasn't available. </p><p>"Yes, but she also works as a head of HR." </p><p>Despite the slight disappointment of being reminded Sam had a girlfriend, Gabriel couldn't help but chuckle. "So, you avoid problems with HR for dating a colleague by dating a colleuge at HR...." He teased.</p><p>"Something like that." Sam didn't seem put off by Gabriel's teasing nature. "We started dating right before she lost her previous job. It was a blessing really that the function opened up here around the same time. I put in a good word for her and she's been proving me right ever since." He explained, the pride clear in his eyes. "What about you, does your partner work here as well or are you smarter than I am?" </p><p>Gabriel couldn't help but notice the way it was phrased. Either Sam was just a very inclusive person, not wanting to assume Gabriel was straight, or Gabriel's preferences were such common knowledge around the office people talked about him. Since gabriel wasn't really someone people cared about, he couldn't imagine rumours about his datinglife spreading easily, so it was probably just Sam not wanting to assume. It might also be a third option, Gabriel realized. Sam might assume he likes guys after Gabriel's balant attempts to flirt with him.</p><p>"At the moment he doesn't even exist, let alone have a job." He answered casually. He wasn't ashamed of who he was so he didn't mind telling Sam, no matter all the people that had warned him not to be so open about his sexuality in an office setting, afraid it would hold him back. </p><p>"That sounds pretty nice sometimes. Dating is great, but it leaves little time to enjoy life. You should value your time alone." Sam commented. </p><p>Gabriel knew it was meant as a joke, but Sam seemed to forget to laugh at the end of it. Gabriel grinned before the conversation could grow tense. "Oh, I'm making use of my single days..."  He assured Sam with a glint in his eye.</p><p> Sam chuckled. "As you should. Now how about we take a look at your presentation." He offered, turning his attention to the projector on the wall. </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel agreed, shifting the focus to his presentation instead. He explained the basis of their idea before getting into the practical use, the advantages and disadvantages. He was glad to see Sam take notes and to have him ask questions. It really felt like he was taking the presentation seriously and he wasn't just indulging Gabriel. </p><p>When the presentation was done, Sam finished the note he was taking before looking at Gabriel with big eyes. "This is amazing. I never realized how much risk we were facing with the current software." </p><p>"Charlie did point it out."  Gabriel said, pursing his lips. Maybe he shouldn't have sounded as snarky as he did, but he knew how hard Charlie had been fighting to bing the problems to the boards attention, so Sam really shouldn't have been that amazed in the first place. </p><p>Sam squinted before connecting the dots. "Oh, Charlie Bradbury. Of Course." He answered. "I've never really heard anything like this from her." </p><p>It was the casual tone in which Sam said it, like maybe Gabriel was mistaking that set him off. Of course Sam hadn't heard it, they were actively keeping her away from management meetings. "Yeah, I hadn't heard anything about you either. Doesn't mean there's nothing going on." He shot back.</p><p>Sam took a moment to respond, looking baffled as Gabriel spoke out against him. "What is that supposed to mean?" He demanded.</p><p>Gabriel rolled his eyes. He had probably fucked it up already by now, but it was too late to back track on his words. He couldn't climb down from his anger either way. "It means that, just because you don't hear from someone, it doesn't mean they don't exist. It just means you're not listening." He said, crossing his arms as he looked Sam down. If this was the thing that ruined it, he might as well go all out and make sure the message stuck. "Charlie has been trying to pitch this for months and she's been blocked the whole way up, so you can't be surprised you haven't heard from her. You could be surprised that you haven't seen the manager of the IT department in any meetings, despite the new software roll-out, but I guess that didn't seem strange?" <br/><br/>Gabriel was so certain Sam would get angry and for a moment he could see the others fist clench and his breathing getting more rapid. Something changed when Sam met Gabriel's eyes. He sighed, relaxing his fist and putting his hand flat on the table. Gabriel wondered if he looked scared, because he couldn't deny that was how he felt deep down. But it was layered with confidence that he was right and frustration over how they treated his friend and manager. He didn't think Sam would be able to make that out, but whatever Sam saw, it made him sympathetic to Gabriel's case.</p><p>"You're right." He admitted with a gnawing frustration in his voice that wasn't aimed at Gabriel in the slightest. "You told me she's been trying to speak with us. It's just... I hadn't realized how much of an issue this was. It's hard to imagine anyone trying to stop her from speaking out. I get that incorporating the changes you mentioned is going to cost a lot of money. But it's nothing compared to the damages we'll have to pay if we do get breached." He shook his head, no doubt already doing the math. "They should have had her come and present these risk way sooner."</p><p>It was usually hard to get get Gabriel down from his emotions with anything other than humor, but Sam managed. Gabriel's eyes softened as he looked at Sam before he took a seat. "Yeah, I think they just don't like us enough to listen." He shrugged, no self pity in his voice. "You are probably the first one in your position that hasn't cussed at me and the first one bother learning my name. And I get that, I'm just one out of 500," He added quickly, not wanting Sam to think he was just sharing some sob story. "but Charlie is responsible for keeping the operating system running at all hours and she's doing an amazing job. She deserves a seat at the table when she asks for it. She wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important."</p><p>Sam gave him a soft smile as he listened. When Gabriel finished they sat in silence for a few moments before Sam let out a laugh. "You are not too shy with your thoughts are you?" Sam commented, his smile spreading. "But it's good that you're pointing this out. I'll have a talk with the board during our next meeting. I'll make sure it's on the agenda." He promised. </p><p>"Thank you. That would be great." Gabriel answered, suddenly finding his manners again.</p><p> </p><p>Sam started packing his stuff, apologizing that he had to leave for the next meeting. Before he left he looked at Gabriel with a soft smile and put a hand on his shoulder. "Also Gabriel, you shouldn't sell yourself short. You are not one in 500. You are special, not only for your talents in IT. You have this way with words, you have a clear passion and I find you very convincing." </p><p>Gabriel was taken aback by that. Sam looked so sincere into Gabriel's eyes, he could only nod. After Sam had already left the room, he could reorganize his thoughts, going over the words again. He wondered why they meant so much to him.</p><p>He slowly packed up his stuff, still unsure how he managed to pull it off. He couldn't wait to tell Charlie about Sam's promise to put her on the agenda.  </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A week had gone by since the meeting and Gabriel was still waiting to hear from Sam. Charlie assured him these things just took time. Balthazar suggested that maybe Sam had only listened to Gabriel's presentation to pretend like management cared. He didn't think Lucifer would allow actual changes, even if Sam really cared. </p><p>Gabriel wasn't sure what would hurt more, Sam not actually caring or Sam fighting for the plan to be heard, but not managing to make others care. He wasn't sure what to think at this point. It wasn't like he would run into Sam, so he could casually ask him. They had always moved in very different circles. The only place for a chance encounter like that was the cafeteria, but it would be pretty obvious if he suddenly showed up there after not having done so before. He and his team always ate lunch in the Cave. Gabriel usually brought some food from home to eat or they ordered in. And of course the second drawer of his desk contained a snack supply for when they got peckish. </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel was lost in thought when someone knocked on the door of The Cave. Usually a knock meant some intern or newbie had problems logging in to the network and someone told them to ask IT. Others usually didn't knock. They send in a ticket and if they got t impatient and decided to come by themselves, they would just barge in. <br/><br/>"It's open." Charlie called out, looking at the door as well. When it Gabriel couldn't help the smile spreading on his face. </p><p> </p><p>"Hey Gabe, Charlie and..." Sam lingered as he looked at the third person in the room. </p><p>"Balthazar." Balthazar filled in unimpressed. "And you are?" </p><p> </p><p>"Sam." Gabriel said, getting up from his desk chair. "Everything okay?" </p><p>Sam nodded. "I just wanted to ask if any of you would like some cake?"</p><p>Gabriel squinted as he looked up at Sam. "Cake?"<br/><br/></p><p></p><div>
  <p>"Yeah, you told me you wanted to be included next time I brought cake." Sam reminded him with an amused smile. He looked around the room, "I don't break a promise. So... three pieces?" He cataloged.</p>
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    <p>"Apparently not." Gabriel smiled. "Any news on the project yet?" </p>
    <p></p>
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      <p></p>
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        <p> </p>
        <p>Sam shook his head. "I'm going to pitch it tomorrow so we'll have to see what happens." He turned to Charlie. "I wanted to ask you to join me for that part of the meeting. I'm pretty sure you'll do a better job of presenting the idea. Gabe has tried to explain it to me, but I would like to have you there for any follow up questions. Would you be able to make it tomorrow around 2?" </p>
        <p>Charlie shot Gabriel a quick look. She opened up her calendar before she agreed. "That would be great, thank you." There was skepticism in her voice, but you had to know her to notice.</p>
        <p>"No need. Sorry for only coming to you now. It was a last minute decision by lucifer to add it to the agenda." Sam he explained, seemingly unaware of Charlie's suspicions. He headed for the door."I'll be right back with the cake." </p>
        <p> </p>
        <p>As soon as Sam was gone, Gabriel could feel the other two staring at him. </p>
        <p> </p>
        <p>"What was that?" Charlie asked out loud. "How did you do that?" </p>
        <p>Gabriel shrugged. He wasn't sure how he managed to get them the opportunity Charlie had been dying to get, in addition to free cake. "I guess I'm just that charming..." He smirked. </p>
        <p> </p>
        <p> </p>
        <p>Balthazar huffed. "Right..." He just said, rolling his eyes. "Charming..."</p>
        <p> </p>
        <p>Gabriel paid him no mind as Charlie grabbed his attention again, asking to borrow the presentation Gabriel had made. Gabriel emailed her the powerpoint he had been working on. When she opened it, she flipped through the sheet. After a moment of silence she sighed softly and turned to Gabriel again. "Maybe you should be the one at that meeting..."  </p>
        <p>Gabriel looked at her quizzically. "You're the IT manager... You were the one that decided this project would be worth the work. Wouldn't it look better if you were the one speaking with the board." He asked.</p>
        <p>"I don't know, maybe. It's just... Seeing how far you've gotten in a few days, you are good at this. Plus, you've done almost all of the work on the project itself. It's basicly your project to begin with. Then again, I am the person that has to sign off on everything." She bit her lip. "How about I sit in on the meeting tomorrow. I mean, that's what Sam asked, plus it's pretty much my role. There I can tell them you're our product lead. That way they can decide which of us they want to talk to. Maybe they'll prefer talking with you." </p>
        <p> </p>
        <p>Gabriel snickered. "You really hate management meetings don't you?" </p>
        <p> </p>
        <p>"I got into IT to learn some sweet coding, not to feel like an outcast around people in suits." She countered. Gabriel wanted to respond, but there was another knock before Sam opened the door, balancing three plates of cake. </p>
        <p> </p>
        <p>He handed everyone their plate before stopping at Charlie's desk. "I'll shoot you an invite for tomorrow." He told her, looking a bit unsure of what to say after that. "Sorry it took a while." Apparently Gabriel's message had come through to him. </p>
        <p> </p>
        <p>Charlie smiled, shaking her head dismissively. "It happens." She responded, and that kind of response was the reason it was best to put Charlie in charge. She was a lot better at letting things go and remaining civil. Gabriel would have already bitten back on that. </p>
        <p> </p>
        <p>"But," Charlie added. "If the project is to move forward, Gabriel is going to take the lead on the project." </p>
        <p>Gabriel couldn't help but focus in on Sam's face, only to find Sam staring straight back at him. "Perfect." He assured Gabriel. "We'll plan another meeting to discuss further steps if tomorrow goes well."  </p>
        <p> </p>
        <p>Gabriel nodded with a playful smirk. "Can't wait." He told Sam, who grinned back at him just as devilish. If Sam had been anybody else, Gabriel would surely have been told off for his behaviour by now. Luckily Sam didn't seem to mind. If anything, he indulged Gabriel by playing along more and more each time they met.</p>
        <p>"Get a room." Balthazar interjected loudly, Him mouth still half filled with cake. Gabriel and Sam both laughed, ignoring the comment. </p>
        <p>After assuring Charlie that she could expect an invite any minute now, Sam left again. Before he closed the door behind him, he looked at Gabriel one last time. The way Sam smiled at him made it hard not to blush, but with his friends prying eyes, he was trying very hard not to.</p>
        <p> </p>
        <p> </p>
        <p>As soon as the door clicked shut, Charlie turned in her chair to face Gabriel. "Okay, what is going on between you two?" She asked, crossing her arms as she looked excited. "If that wasn't flirting, I don't know what is." </p>
        <p>Gabriel chuckled, wondering if she was actually right. "That's just some good natured teasing." He assured her. "As soon as something interesting happens I promise you'll be the first to know." Of course, that was an empty promise. Nothing was going to happen. He knew Sam had a girlfriend and besides, Sam was a chill dude who actually listened to what Gabriel had to say. He wasn't going to ruin that by trying something, even if Sam wouldn't have been with Ruby. </p>
        <p> </p>
        <p> </p>
        <p> </p>
        <p>The rest of the afternoon was spend helping Charlie on the presentation in between solving some standard tickets and setting up some overnight updates. Appearently Lucifer, their CEO, managed to break the same program twice, making Balthazar go up there twice. </p>
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          <p>The next day Charlie came in wearing a red jumpsuit with a black tailored blazer, instead of her usual jeans and shirt. Gabriel wolf whistled when she walked in, making her laugh and strike an exagurated pose. "See I can pretend I'm fancy to talk to big bosses too. I feel like I'm in a spy movie or something..." She said excited. She was giddy and nervous most of the day until it came to 2 pm. </p>
          <p>When Charlie left for the meeting, both the boys had given her a thumbs up. She seemed to be genuinely happy she got to go and defend their project, no matter how much she hated talking to management. </p>
          <p> </p>
          <p>When she returned, only half an hour later, she was looking at the floor. She seemed completely defeated. After she slumped down in her desk chair, she kicked off her heels with a big sigh.</p>
          <p>"What happened?" Balthazar asked after a short silence. His voice was silent, as if not to disturb her any further. "Did they refuse the project?" </p>
          <p>Charlie shook her head. "Worse. They agreed to consider our plan. But they want to outsource the idea to some cheap third party who is probably going to mess it all up." She said before letting out a heavy sigh. "Remind me why I thought it was a good idea that I should talk to the board?" </p>
          <p>"Because you're the one in charge?" Balthazar oppered. "If it was going to be outsourced either way, there is no difference in who presents the idea. At least they have heard from IT again." He rolled his eyes.</p>
          <p>Gabriel nodded. "They were probably planning this all along." He couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed by Sam. Of course he did exactly what he promised, get the attention of the board. Gabriel still hoped he would have pushed the plan through himself. Then again, why would he. For him this was a matter of clearing a flaw in their security and liability. It wasn't about Gabriel or the IT department.</p>
          <p>He took some Reese pieces out of his snack drawer to comfort Charlie, who took them willingly. "It's just..." She took a bite from the candy before continuing. "They basically told me they don't believe we can do this, even with extra resources. And than that bitch chimes in, telling the others to 'give us a chance'," Charlie snorted a sarcastic laugh. "To proof we can do this in house they want us to come up with a complete proposal project in less then a month. And I'm not talking about the basics... several tests, user experience reports, a budget outline. Everything ready within a month. And we can't expand the team to help bare the workload for that month either." <br/></p>
          <p> </p>
          <p><br/>"So they won't outsource it if we make a plan and a working test environment." Gabriel reiterated, taking a lollipop out of the candy for himself. "We've been working on it long enough to be able to do that."</p>
          <p>Charlie sighed. "Are you sure you want to put in that kind of effort? I'm not sure it's even possible to complete it within a month. Even if we managed, they would still have to approve it. I told them I'd discuss it with you since you're the project lead. It's your call. But make sure you realize what you're getting yourself into." </p>
          <p>Gabriel shrugged. Of course that would take a lot of work, it seemed almost impossible. But if they threw away this chance the company would be validated in their negative feelings toward the IT department. If they were the ones to do this, corporate might see the value of the team. And, with the extra task, they might approve the expansion, so they could hire a new person. Charlie had been asking for some extra hands for months, this might be just what they needed.  "We've gotten this far, might as well try it." </p>
          <p>"Plus." Balthazar said, wheeling over with his desk chair. "You'd be doing Gabriel a favor. That means he'll get to talk to that guy he has the hots for again." </p>
          <p> </p>
          <p> </p>
          <p>Gabriel hadn't even really thought of Sam after seeing Charlie so down. But the thought was in his head now. "How did Sam react to the decision?" </p>
          <p>Charlie scoffed. "Well Ruby was the one that came up with our little test, so of course he completely supported her... It's like he follows whatever she says." </p>
          <p>Gabriel wasn't sure what to think of that. Sam had seemed so supportive of him in the last week, maybe he could still convince him that it was better to do this in house, for easy support and probably lower costs in the long run. After Charlie's experience it felt naive to bring the notion up, so he kept silent.</p>
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          <p>Charlie needed to let out some steam. She told them exactly what she thought of each and everyone of those stuck up managers in suits that were as expensive as a good gaming PC. They all shared a few of their worst experiences in helping them, followed by their dumbest questions or problems. After about twenty minutes or so of bashish their highest level of management, their spirits were lifted enough to continue with the rest of their work.</p>
          <p>They decided to let the information settle for now and restructure tomorrows plans so Gabriel had time to work on their new project. There was no fighting the outcome, all they could do for now was work with what they had and try to make it regardless.</p>
          <p> </p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for the comments and feedback. I always love people commenting on my work &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gabriel couldn't have been more surprised when he actually received a message from Sam the following day. It was an invite to talk about the project during lunch. Apparently Sam didn't have any time in his schedule  to plan a proper meeting, so he hoped Gabriel would be able to join him during his break. Or so he explained. Gabriel didn't mind spending lunchtime with Sam. If the manager couldn't even spare the time to plan a proper meeting, there probably wasn't much to be discussed either way. </p><p>When he told the team, they didn't seem to think much of the meeting either. Charlie saw some hope in it, suggesting that maybe Gabriel could reason with Sam about reducing the scope. That way the project could be built up in several phases, making the deadline a lot more achievable. </p><p>Balthazar didn't seem to have any hope for the project at all. "If he doesn't even want to meet properly, do you really think he's going to spend his time on a new proposal. I say fuck him." He turned to Gabriel, a satisfied smirk forming as Balthazar heard his own words back. "You are more than free to take that litteral." He teased. </p><p>Gabriel let out a half hearted laugh. Usually he was more than up for some teasing back and forth, but is was Balthazar's first comment that was playing through his mind. All of the hope Charlie had tried to instill vanished as Balthazar repeated the first thought Gabriel had when he saw the invite. He read the message over again, getting frustrated with Sam as well as with himself. He pressed accept before closing the message and trying to shut out his frustration as well, so he could focus back on his work.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When lunch rolled around, Gabriel made his way to the first floor reluctantly. He hadn't been to the cafeteria in ages, but it wasn't hard to find his way back. All he had to do was follow the sound of busy chatter and the smell of heated ready-meals. He instantly missed the familiar quiet Cave.  The constant noisiness of the cafeteria was why he and his team avoided eating there in the first place. Now he had to conduct a 'meeting' in that collective business, all because Sam couldn't actually make time for him in his normal schedule. </p><p>As soon as he opened the door to go in, the sensations intensified, and so did Gabriel's nerves. He was sure he stood out like a sore thumb looking around the cafeteria to find Sam, and trying to hide a scowl as he did so. The room itself was large and had sort of a restaurant feel to it. It was made up out of a mix of long white tables for bigger groups and smaller ones for up to four people. On one side of the cafeteria a display was stocked with a large selection of overpriced sandwiches and salads. On the counter next to it a large black kettle with a chalkboard sign stood that read the soup of the day. </p><p>Gabriel brought his own lunch as usual. He considered getting something from the cafeteria nonetheless now that he was here, it did look appealing. He held himself back, not wanting to join the long line of colleagues that were waiting to overpay for some fancy sandwich or soup. He mainly just wanted to get this over with and return to his friends in The Cave.</p><p> </p><p>As the minutes passed, Gabriel began to grow more irritated. He wasn't able to see Sam anywhere, with his height it should have been easy to spot him. After ten minutes of awkwardly standing near the door, he was sure Sam had forgotten about the haphazardly planned meeting. He looked at the clock and considered just heading back up to the second floor when someone put a hand on his shoulder. His head jerked back at the feeling. </p><p>"Hey Gabe, I'm so sorry I'm late. My last meeting just didn't seem to stop." Sam was standing behind him, holding a container and some cutlery. Apparently Sam wasn't one for cafeteria food either.</p><p>Gabriel shook his head slightly. "That's fine." He assured him, almost feeling bad for how angry he had been a minute ago. There was no malice in Sam's expression and his apology seemed sincere. For a moment it made Gabriel forget why he had really been angry in the first place. It didn't take him too long to remember what exactly had brought on his frustration in the first place as he heard some guy laugh loud enough to disturb the whole room momentarily. </p><p>"Do you often take meetings at lunchtime?" There was a sharpness to his voice that made Sam frown before letting out a soft chuckle.  </p><p>"I try not to, but there's only so many hours in the day. I thought it was important we'd start with the project as soon as possible given the timespan."</p><p>The use of 'we' caught Gabriel's attention. Why would Sam still want to be involved in any of this if he had voted in favor of this ridiculous deadline. Before Gabriel could ask if that meant that Sam wanted to go through with it, his attention was drawn to a somewhat familiar face making her way over to them and waving hello.</p><p> </p><p>Although Gabriel had never met Ruby personally, he recognized her from the picture on Sam's computer background. Sam greeted her with a smile, then turned to <br/>Gabriel. "I'm not sure if I mentioned that Ruby would be joining us. She actually has some great ideas about the project and she was curious about meeting you, since the two of us are probably going to work together a lot this month."  </p><p>Ruby chimed in. "I hope Sam didn't forget to mention me." She said with a smirk, giving Sam a side glance before shaking Gabriel's hand</p><p>Gabriel was proud he held back his retort. He'd see how great the suggestions were of the woman that had decided the had to earn the right to work on this project by doing something nearly impossible. </p><p>She seemed nice enough, but Gabriel knew how deceiving that could be. Luckily, his quiet suspicion didn't seem to be noticable in his expression. She just smiled before she continued to walk over to an empty table in a back corner, obviously expecting the men to follow. </p><p> </p><p>When they sat down, her focus was instantly back on Gabriel. "Sam told me all about you and how great your plans are. If I didn't know any better, I'd almost get jealous." To clarify she was only joking she ended with a wink. Sam strained a laugh next to her as she snaked her arm around Sam's.</p><p>Gabriel smirked at that. "Good that you know better or I'd be in danger." He wasn't supposed to like this woman, but Sam was right, they clicked instantly. They seemed to share the same sense of humor, even if Gabriel was holding back out of caution. </p><p>"You would be. I might be small but I know Kyusho Jitsu." Her eyes lit up, arm tightening around Sam. "It doesn't take a lot of force to hurt someone if you know where to hit." </p><p>Sam looked at his girlfriend a bit unsure, but eventually let out a laugh when she she started laughing.  </p><p>"Are you two done?" Sam asked with a grin that was slightly too wide. Maybe he was uncomfortable because he knew Gabriel liked guys and he started to wonder if Ruby was picking something up he hadn't noticed before. Whatever the reason, he was trying hard to act like he wasn't bothered. He did make sure they got back onto the topic at hand. "We need to discuss how we are going to complete a project this big within a month." He turned to Gabriel, his smile a little less strained as their eyes met. "It will probably take some overtime for both of us. If you are okay with that at least."</p><p> </p><p>That took Gabriel by surprise, it sounded like Sam wanted to legitimately continue with the plan, even though it seemed like it was dead in the water due to the deadline Ruby oppered and Sam supported. Apparently this was an actual meeting, not just a way to let Gabriel down with some courtesy. Still, they were a bit late for that now, after they had imposed that unreachable deadline. </p><p>This time, Gabriel didn't manage to keep quiet. "Right, because we only have a month to build and sample a fully running test environment, complete plan of action and make and defend a budget... I'd like to discuss <em>that </em>too." He shot back, crossing his arms as he stared Sam down. He almost forgot about Ruby, because he had never expected much from anyone else in management. But Sam had been different. "I thought you were on our side with this." He felt like a child having a tantrum as he uttered the accusation. Once his mind caught up with his mouth, he realized how naive he sounded. Sam obviously cared for the impact the plan would have on the company. That didn't mean he cared for Gabriel or the IT team. Outsourcing would mean he would have to spend a lot less time worrying about the project as a whole and only examine the resulting product on legal compliance as an afterthought. Since Sam was already short on time, outsourcing the project would be better for him, which was why it made even less sense for him to want to actually make time for it now.<br/><br/>Sam looked at him baffled. "Of course I'm on your side... Didn't Charlie tell you I backed the proposal to keep it inhouse instead of letting it be built by some company that knows nothing about our business?"</p><p>"You mean the proposal that was setting us up for failure?" Gabriel made sure to glare at Ruby as well Sam as he made his point. He didn't care that it was inappropriate, Sam was acting like he hadn't put this pressure on him.</p><p>A new wave of frustration hit him as he heard Ruby let out a loud laugh. She played with the sleeve of Sam's suit as she eyed Gabriel. "You were right." She told her boyfriend. She scooted a little closer and Gabriel wondered if he had gone too far if she felt like she had to comfort Sam somehow. It couldn't have been too serious however, judging by her amused tone as she continued. "He really doesn't hold back." </p><p>Gabriel wanted to comment on the way they talked about him like he wasn't there, but before he could, Ruby explained herself in a slightly condescending tone. "I get that the deadline is short, Gabriel. But if I hadn't proposed a tight time constraint for the inhouse project, they wouldn't have considered it at all. I know three other members of the board, including the CEO, only wanted to go along with this if we could outsource it cheaply. That's why I convinced them to give you guy a month to try and work it out. That way, it would only cost some overtime for the IT department." She smiled at Sam fondly, taking his hand in hers and holding it tightly where they rested on the table. "Sam made me realize how important it was that the IT department develops it, since we need the flexibility. Like I said, he was very enthusiastic." Her lip curled up as she said the words. </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel huffed. "So this was to help us?" He looked at Sam, still trusting his word more than hers. Gabriel was never really one for the political games they played at the top. He was fine staying out of that whole mess, but that did mean he had trouble judging whether or not Ruby's argument was true. </p><p>"Of course." Sam answered, squinting back at him. He genuinely seemed surprised that Gabriel hadn't thought of that explanation. </p><p>Ruby grinned, squeezing Sam's arm. "I don't think Gabriel sees it that way babe." Sam stopped holding Ruby's gaze, instead looking down at the table for a brief second. When Sam looked away, so did Gabriel. He turned to look at Ruby instead, trying to read into her expression. The excuse she gave made sense and Sam clearly agreed with her. It did calm him down to realize this was a hail Mary offer to save him. although he still wasn't sure how this was even going to be possible. </p><p>Now that he was a bit more calm, he had time to be bothered by the blatant show of affection of Ruby touching Sam constantly. It might just be a hint of jealousy that made him bothered, but there was something about the way Ruby looked at Gabriel as she did it, that itched at the back of his head. He tried not to focus on the display and instead stay with the topic at hand. "I get that there was an effort, but I'm not going to thank you for putting it on us to build a working test environment in a month." He said, crossing his arms.</p><p>Ruby grinned, still seemingly amused by Gabriel's frustration. "Good, cause I didn't do it for a thank you. I did it because Sam was excited to keep this in house and I trust his judgement. Even if that means he'll have to spend a lot of late nights at the office."</p><p>Gabriel couldn't really argue with that and it did feel nice to know Sam wanted his team to do the project based on Gabriel's presentation. "Okay." He conceded before turning to Sam. "So how are we going to pull this off, especially with you being mister popular around here..."</p><p>Sam nodded, chewing on a bit of salad as he pointed his fork at Gabriel. "That's what I wanted to discus. I was wondering if you'd mind working late for a little while. Ruby and I discussed it and the hours would be cleared with HR for paid overtime. We originally budgeted for Charlie, but Ruby can switch that easily enough to give those hours to you. I understand it's a lot to ask, and we can always see if we can switch some things around so you can work on it during the day instead. I'd personally prefer staying late, since I don't have much time during the day and it's probably best if we work on it together."</p><p>Gabriel thought about the idea of making overtime in order to finish the project. It wasn't like there was someone waiting for him at home except his cats and the extra hours would be a nice bonus. "Sounds good to me." He agreed. "I don't mind working late."</p><p>Ruby smiled with the same cautionary look in her eyes she'd been giving him from the start. "Oh that's great." She turned to Sam. "Babe, how about the two of you start tonight?"</p><p>"Right, you have that seminar anyway, so that's perfect." He turned to Gabriel. "As long as that's okay by you. I know it's pretty last minute so I'd understand if you have something better planned on a friday night."</p><p>"There go all my wild plans for tonight." Gabriel grinned, seeing Sam mimic his expression "But of course, I'll cancel my million dates and parties to make time for you, Sam."</p><p>"Poor guys." Sam teased, stopping half way through a chuckle as his eyes grew wide, realizing what he said. He looked at Ruby from the corner of his eyes, before looking back at Gabriel. He was probably afraid he had outed him, but Gabriel would never make a secret of who he was no matter how people might react. He shot Sam a reassuring smile, hoping to signal that he did nothing wrong.</p><p>Ruby lifted an eyebrow, a stiff smile firm on her lips. "Great, it's a date. Don't worry about how late you get home." She slowly untangled herself from Sam as she spoke. "Just text me on the way home, so I know it's you coming through the door." She asked before giving Sam a quick peck on the lips, gripping his neck as she did. The motion reminded Gabriel of how some people lifted cats.  "I've got to run, I'm interviewing for an intern in five." She announced, her hand still at Sam's neck. "It was nice to meet you, Gabriel. I'm really looking forward to seeing the progress the two of you make tonight." Sam looked at her with a tight smile. "I'm sure you'll show me when you get home, right?" She asked Sam. "I know how passionate you are about this whole thing." </p><p>"Yeah, of course. You can read through the progress whenever you want."</p><p>Ruby leaned in to peck his cheek again before letting go of her grip. Gabriel tried to ignore whatever the display was. He was suddenly very preoccupied with picking off the few crumbs that had landed on his hoodie. Only when Ruby stepped back, he looked up at her again. "It was nice to meet you too." He responded, feeling weary of the way she stared him down. She smiled and nodded before fixing her eyes on the door and walking out without looking back.  </p><p> </p><p>Although meeting Ruby had gone fairly well, something about the way she acted left a bitter taste in Gabriel's mouth. Sam had already taken out his phone, wiping some of the lipstick smudge from his cheek as he eyed his reflection in the screen. With the way Sam held his phone, Gabriel saw tiny red imprints on the back of his hand. </p><p>Before Gabriel could even think about whether or not he should mention it, Sam put his phone away. "Sorry about that." His smile was just a bit too wide to look genuine. "I'm guessing this meeting made her realize I'll have even less free time than usual this month. But you shouldn't worry about it, she really does support the project and we've discussed the overtime before I even invited Charlie to the meeting." He added, rubbing the back of his neck. "Apparently, she had been aware that Charlie has been trying to schedule a meeting. But Lucifer told her he didn't see the need to put extra pressure on the IT department, since you guy are already pretty busy. I'm glad she trusted my judgement enough to convince Lucifer to invite her to the meeting." </p><p>Gabriel wasn't sure how to respond, but Sam didn't really give him a chance to do so either way. He switched the subject back to their meeting after work. "My last appointment ends at five thirty, how about we meet at my office?" Sam told Gabriel. This time he stayed silent, waiting for a response. </p><p>It felt silly to turned the conversation back to Ruby's behaviour. Gabriel was pretty sure he was projecting anyway. Thinking back, Sam was probably right, she was just a bit over-affectionate. He couldn't blame her for that. He should be thanking her for making this possible in the first place. He let go of the thought and instead nodded at Sam's offer. "That sounds perfect." He agreed.</p><p>"Great." Sam seemed a bit more relaxed as they discussed what their next steps would be. Neither of them seemed to notice the crowd around them slowly thinning out until Sam suddenly cursed. Gabriel followed his gaze to the wall mounted clock. It was twenty to one. When he looked back at Sam, the other was already haphazardly packing up his stuff. "I'm so sorry. I was supposed to be at a brainstorm session ten minutes ago. I didn't realize how long we've been talking. I'll see you after work okay?".</p><p>As Sam walked past him, he brushed his hand over Gabriel's shoulder. Gabriel packed his stuff up as well. He only now noticed how quiet the constant murmur had gotten. There were still people having a late lunch of course, but a quick glance told him almost 90 percent of the crowd had left while they were talking.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When Gabriel walked into The Cave again, Charlie and Balthazar both stopped whatever they had been doing on their computers to look at him. Gabriel deliberately stayed quiet, santering over to his chair with a wide grin as their eyes followed him.</p><p>Balthazar sighed when he realized Gabriel was waiting for them to ask him about the meeting. "It looks like your date went alright. Screwed your way up to management yet?"</p><p>"Working on it." Gabriel joked in response. "But the meeting did go well." </p><p>Charlie lifted an eyebrow. "Has he explained why he stabbed us in the back like that?"</p><p>Gabriel shook his head as he sighed a little. "He didn't. They explained Lucifer had already decided not to do the project 'in house'. Appearently he thinks our team is busy enough already and he didn't want to put extra pressure on us." When Sam first said it, it made sense. But now that he repeated it out loud, it didn't seem like Lucifer cared about that. </p><p>Charlie huffed. "If he is so concerned about that, maybe he should stop sending in a dozen tickets a week."</p><p>Balthazar only nodded, staying out of the conversation apart from that. </p><p>Gabriel laughed. "Maybe he was afraid there was no more time to deal with all his issues on top of the project. Anyway, whatever the excuse, he's been against putting it on our team since the start. So Ruby convinced him to give us a month to work on it, all in overtime. It was either like this or not at all." He explained. </p><p>"Ruby said that?" Charlie asked, her suspicion only growing more visible. "I'd trust her as far as I could throw her." Her tone was hard, harsh even, especially compaired to her usual cheer. "Something about her just irks me. Besides she doesn't allow me to expand our team. She is the reason we're too busy... She doesn't seem to see any value in IT whatsoever."</p><p>"Apparently she does. As long as Sam sees the value of it at least." Doubt started creeping into Gabriel. Charlie was usually a good judge of character and her distrust in Ruby almost validated the earlier feelings Gabriel had tried to push aside. "Whatever here reasons, she made it possible to at least try to do this project ourselfs. I'll be working on it with Sam everyday after work so it doesn't hinder our primary proces. Don't worry about compensating the hours, I can claim them as paid overtime." </p><p>Balthazar snickered. "Right, remind me again why the manager of the legal department needs to work on this every night... You must be pretty close with that guy, otherwise they definitely would have just had an adviser or something check on your work every now and again." He sat back in his chair, shaking his head. "If he wasn't with that girl, I'd say he just likes to spend time with you, if you know what I mean." He wiggled his eyebrows. "I see three possible options here. Either they are in an open relationship, Sam is looking for a mistress or there's something fishy going on..." He summed up thoughtfully. </p><p>"Like what?" </p><p>"I don't know, I'm not here to play business politics." Balthazar shrugged. "But you have to agree it's strange that someone in Sam's position is going to spend that much time, in what could be his free time, all to work on some programming. People go into management because they want to work less, not more." </p><p>"Is that so?" Charlie asked in a fake offended tone. </p><p>Balthazar rolled his eyes. "We all know you're the exception to the rule. And your a team leader, Sam is top management." Balthazar argued, slowly turning his attention back to his screen. A hint of amusment flashed in his eyes. "Apparently Luci's screen is acting up again." He said as he got up to go see the CEO. "Just do what I do, I do what I'm asked and I don't ask questions I don't want an answer too. It makes stuff a lot more enjoyable to be able to ignore the bad stuff. If I were you I'd just hope is one of the first two options and enjoy those meetings." Before he left, he pulled an HDMI cable from the stach. "Be right back." He announced as he walked through the door, closing it behind him. </p><p>Charlie rolled her eyes. "He'll be up there for at least twenty minutes to fix a screen. If Lucifer really was that concerned with how busy we were he'd stop that. Or he'd personally make sure we'd be allowed an extra hire. But I guess it's not <em>that</em> important to him."</p><p>"Do you think there's any truth to what Balthazar said?"</p><p>"I think Lucifer's excuse for ignoring me bothers me more. But now that I think about it, it <em>is</em> pretty weird that Sam would be the one to join you on the project." She smiled. "Or you know, maybe he is looking for something beside her if they are in an open relationship." </p><p>"If that's so, I think you should be worried. When he discussed the extra hours with Ruby, they still thought you would be working on the project instead of me." Gabriel laughed. "Whatever motivations they might have, I'm just glad we're getting a chance." He concluded. </p><p>He logged in, seeing that their mailbox was overflowing with tickets. With Balthazar already occupied, they had to get to work if they wanted to manage them all in time, and Gabriel had to ben done by five thirthy.  <br/> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="">Nerves were getting the better of him as Gabriel rode the elevator up to the fourth floor ten minutes too early. Luckily his team had been able to power through the tickets, with barely any new ones arriving friday after four. It was no secret that everyone, except for Sam apparently, left early on fridays to go enjoy their weekend. The legal department was  already deserted when Gabriel entered the open spaced office. Although Gabriel was early, he walked straight over to Sam's office to knock. When there was no response, he sat down at the desk right next to the office door. He took out his laptop, deciding to look over the original presentation once again. </p><p><br/>About three minutes in, he got distracted by the sound of familiar laughter. "I took care of everything this month." A female voice said from around the corner. Gabriel looked up from his laptop, looking to see who was walking into the otherwise abandoned department. "He'll have his hands f- Oh hey Gabriel." </p><p>Ruby and Lucifer Morningstar walked into the department, heading for a filing cabinet. Ruby's face was mix of surprise and something Gabriel could not read. "You're a bit early, aren't you?"</p><p>Gabriel gave her a small nod. "Yeah." He muttered before dismissing the two and instead focussing back on his work. Even if he might be on good terms with Ruby, which he wasn't really sure about to begin with, he still couldn't stand the CEO beside her. The few times he had to go help Lucifer with something, he had been berated from the moment he walked in. Lucifer was such an asshole, the team had decided to put up a wager and the loser had to take care of all his tickets for the whole year. </p><p>After taking some papers from the supply closet, Lucifer made his way over to Gabriel with Ruby in tow. When Gabriel looked up again Lucifer was standing in front of him. He had his chest puffed out as he made himself look bigger and more threatening. The CEO squinted as he looked Gabriel over, then extending his hand like they hadn't met before. "Lucifer Morningstar, CEO." </p><p>Gabriel bit back some of the snarkier comments he wanted to make. This wasn't Sam, who laughed at Gabriel's remarks, even the more critical ones. Insulting Lucifer meant trouble. Of course, he wasn't able to just sit back and pretend this was a normal way to talk to people either. "Nice to see you <em>again</em>." He put some emphasis on the last word. </p><p>A small sense of amusement played on Lucifer's lips before he was full out smirking at Gabriel. It reminded him of his interaction with Ruby during dinner. He couldn't help but pity Balthazar, who had lost the wager and had been the person to help Lucifer for the past few months. Balthazar probably had to put up with a lot more bullshit from the man in charge. </p><p>Ruby grinned at Lucifer, making Gabriel feel very much the bud of the joke. "This is Gabriel. He'll be leading that IT thing Sam will be working on."  </p><p>Lucifers' smirk grew at that. "Oh, so you are the genius behind this all. You must have really impressed Sam. Good to finally meet you, I've heard great things." Lucifer continued not recognizing the fact they had met several times before before, almost making Gabriel doubt himself. "You choose your friends wisely, don't you?" It didn't feel like Lucifer was judging him, even if it was clear he thought Gabriel only used Sam to get higher up. It almost sounded like he admired Gabriel for what he thought had happened. </p><p>Gabriel didn't want to be seen as some opportunistic asshole. He was about to say something he would most definitely regret when Lucifer turned away from him, toward the sound of footsteps.</p><p>"Sam." Lucifer exclaimed clasping his hands together, his amusement only growing. "I hope you don't mind me escording your girlfriend here to get the briefs. I thought you would bring them over yourself, but I guess you have other priorities right now." </p><p>Three sets of eyes all darted to Gabriel, who had no idea where to look. Balthazar was right, there was definitely something going on and if Lucifer was involved, it probably wasn't anything good.  </p><p>Sam gave a tight lipped smile. "It's been a busy day." He countered before looking at Gabriel properly. "I'll be in my office when you're ready, Gabe." He looked at Ruby once more before walking into the office and closing the door behind him a little harder than was necessary.</p><p>Desperate to get away, Gabriel quickly closed his laptop and got up. He was curious about what had just happened. But more than anything, grateful to be able to leave the awkward encounter. "Nice to see both of you <em>again</em>."  He reiterated. He looked at Ruby. "Good luck with your seminar." </p><p>Ruby looked almost as annoyed by the whole encounter as Gabriel felt. "Thanks. Have a good night. I can't wait for Sam to show me what you two have been working on."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel had to walk around Ruby and Lucifer. The two looked slightly amused as the made no move to get out of the way so Gabriel could walk a straight path. Gabriel could feel their eyes burning into his back, but he wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of looking up at them. Instead he walked into Sam's office without knocking. Only after he closed the door behind him, he look up to meet Sam's gaze. Sam was smiling, but Gabriel couldn't look past the way his eyes didn't match the picture. </p><p>"How was your meeting?" Gabriel asked. There was still a chance Sam's reaction had nothing to do with the two outside, and simply stemmed from something that happened earlier. It still wouldn't explain what happened with Ruby and Lucifer, but he could worry about them later. </p><p>Sam shrugged, his fake smile still firmly planted on his face. "Nothing special."  </p><p>So it was about them. Gabriel's instincts told him to leave it at that, but he'd never been great at keeping his thoughts to himself. It was even worse around Sam, he realized. "Then why do you look like you just found out the finale of your favorite show sucked?" </p><p>"What?" Gabriel hadn't expected the flash of what might be anger or frustration that appeared in Sam's eyes. He huffed. "I'm just tired."</p><p>Gabriel put both of his hands up in a mock defence. "Okay" He said, unable to stop his eyes from rolling. He should probably be at least a little intimidated, but he wasn't dumb. He could see there was something going on and he could feel the tension that would linger if he wouldn't at least try to address it. "If that's what you want to go with, I'll play along..." </p><p>Sam sighed, his anger slowly simmering down as his shoulders sagged a little. "I'm sorry, it's just been a long day filled with useless meetings." There was still something there Gabriel couldn't read, but at least the tension had dispersed a little after Sam let go of his anger."But that doesn't matter anymore, we are here for your project." </p><p>As Sam's smile grew a little, Gabriel studied his face. He actually looked more at ease as the topic switched to the project. Then again, he probably just didn't want to continue about why he had been grumpy in the first place. Gabriel smiled apologetically. "We could reschedule..." He suggested, suddenly feeling bad for trying to get Sam to open up, right before entering another 'pointless meeting'.</p><p> </p><p>Sam shook his head. "I've actually been looking forward to this ever since lunch." He admitted, the last hints of frustration making way for excitement. "I used to lead a lot of project, but now I don't really get a chance to get as involved. It'll be nice to get in some ground work again." </p><p>It was surprising to hear that Sam was so excited about the project. There was something about Sam's smile that already made Gabriel look forward to the rest of the month. "Well let's get to it then." He suggested, not wanting to linger on the conversation, or the weird encounter with Ruby and Lucifer, any longer. "How about I take you through what functions are currently already coded into the program and where the weak spots lie." He made his way over to the desk and opened his laptop, making sure the back end of the current program was still visible, alongside the list changes they were working on. A chuckle followed as Gabriel turned the laptop to show Sam.</p><p>"It looks impressive, but I don't know anything about coding at all. I'd love to learn a bit about what all this means before we start. Could you take me through it?" He got up and offered Gabriel his chair. "Here sit down, I'll get in another chair and you can try explaining this to me." He said, rushing out of the office. He came in wheeling in one of the normal desk chairs, putting it next to Gabriel before sitting down as well.</p><p>Gabriel connected his laptop to the docking station and the screens on Sam's desk sprang to life. Sam wheeled in a little closer. Even sitting down, the man was a lot larger than him. Gabriel could feel the other looming over his shoulder, leaning in to see the words written on screen better. Although Gabriel usually hated to be watched as he worked, Sam's genuine interest pulled away from that. It made him eager to explain just what he had done and what needed doing. </p><p><br/><br/>When Gabriel was busy explaining the logic gates that connected the queries on screen, they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Sam instantly moved away from Gabriel, his chair hitting the glass wall behind him hard enough to cause a thud. Heat spread over Gabriel's face. With the way Sam reacted, it was almost like they were caught doing god knows what. If anything, Sam's reaction and Gabriel's flushed face would cause suspicion, even though they hadn't been doing anything except going through the basics of coding. </p><p>A woman opened the door, filling the room with the chemical scent of lemons. She was older, early sixties if Gabriel had to guess. As soon as she appeared, Sam let out a breath behind Gabriel before he chuckled.</p><p>"Maria. How are you?" </p><p>Gabriel had expected Sam to sound tense, given the way he pulled back, but he seemed to be complete calm again. </p><p>The woman tutted. "Have you forgotten what day it is?" She teased, lifting her eyebrows. </p><p>Gabriel turned to look at Sam confused, but he just sighed as he shook his head. "Yeah. I'm sorry. we'll get out of your hair. Have you started already?" </p><p>The woman, Maria, smiled, shaking her head. "I expected nothing different. Don't worry, we haven't started on this floor yet, you can still get out. I told them there was most likely still someone up here that needed to understand the idea of free time." Her tone was filled with familiarity and amusement.</p><p>"You're amazing, you know. Can you give us five minutes to pack?" </p><p>The woman nodded. "I'll be counting." She warned with a big grin before closing the office door again.</p><p> </p><p>Gabriel turned his chair to look at Sam. Even though he wasn't sure what was going on, he understood was that they had to cut their meeting short.</p><p>Sam got up to pack as he explained. "Maria started working here when I did. Since I always work late we see each other a lot. Every three months they have a weekend where they clean everything they don't get to during the week. They make some preparations on fridays like putting some soft of power on all the floors. The office closes at six so they can start and I'm usually one of the only ones that works late, so she always tries to remind me beforehand. But I always forget."  He laughed, rubbing his neck. "I really hoped we could have gotten started on this." </p><p>Gabriel hummed in agreement. He had hoped so as well. "How about we continue via zoom?"</p><p>"Sounds good..." Sam was already done packing. He didn't sound to excited about the idea of continuing online. Just when Gabriel wanted to tell him it was fine to start on Monday instead, Sam's eyes lit up. "Actually, if you want we can work at it in my apartment if you'd rather continue in person. Ruby is out for most of the night anyway. There's a great ramen shop around my corner if you want to get some take out as well." </p><p>Gabriel had to make sure he wouldn't show too much enthusiasm at the prospect. Despite being quite outgoing when he was comfortable, Gabriel wasn't really the sort of person that had a lot of friends. Ever since he moved to the city he spend most of his nights either alone or gaming with Balthazar and Charlie. It would be nice to hang out and get dinner with someone else, even if it was work related. He knew this wasn't friendship perse, but he looked forward to not spending his evening alone. "That would be great."</p><p> </p><p>They left the building after Sam thanked Maria for waiting for him before they started on the floors. At the parking lot, Sam walked over to his car. A light blue electric Dodge Challenger. "If you want you can just follow me." Sam offered. "Where are you parked?"</p><p>"I usually take the bus." It wasn't something Gabriel was ashamed off. He had never bothered getting a driver's license and with public transportation he didn't need to waste money to get one now.</p><p>He was used to get at least some reaction to that, but it barely seemed to register for Sam. "Then I'll take you. I can drop you off at home when we're done as well." He offered as he unplugged his car from the loading station. </p><p>"Thanks." A grin spread across Gabriel's face as he opened the passenger door. The car was as well kept and luxurious as he expected. There were no cans of packages covering the floor, nor were there any knicknacks adorning the dashboard or hanging from the rearview mirror. The only indication that the car wasn't just some ownerless display at a dealership seemed to be the small container of sugar free chewing gum in the center cup holder and the half empty water bottle in the holder on the drivers side. </p><p>Even the interior seemed untouched, apart from the small crease in the leather on the drivers side. The rest of the car looked almost untouched. It wasn't just that there was trash lying about, Gabriel couldn't even stop a trace of sand or dirt on his side. He stomped his shoes on the ground before getting in. If Sam was this careful with his car, Gabriel didn't want to be the one to get it dirty. </p><p>Sam chuckled as he made his way over to the opposite door. "Don't worry, it's not like you've been walking through mud or something." </p><p>"Are you sure?" That attitude didn't fit how clean the car was. When Gabriel looked inside again he noticed there was a little dirt on the floor of the drivers side. It contrasted with how untouched his side was. </p><p>A crease appeared on Sam's forehead. "It's just a car." He assured Gabriel as he got into the car himself. </p><p>Gabriel decided to ignore his confusion and get in before things got weird. When he sat down he grinned over at Sam. "This is definitely better than taking the bus." He let himself sink into the chair. It even felt new. Unused, he realized with surprise. </p><p> </p><p>Sam didn't seem to notice Gabriel's realisation. He started the car, navigating them out of the parking lot. As they drove the twenty minutes to Sam's apartment, they talked about their hobbies. Gabriel wasn't shocked to learn Sam liked to work out. When Sam asked him about his interests and he mentioned gaming, Sam's eyes lit up. Apparently Gabriel hadn't been completely off in his assumption that Sam wasn't a gamer, it was just that he didn't play anymore. He did however love talking about games he used to play. They talked about their favorite old school games for a little while. When Gabriel asked Sam why he stopped gaming, he didn't answer straight away. Instead he stared out in front of him intently, his focus shifting to the road as his nails drove into the steering wheel. After a few moment of silence, he settled on "It didn't really fit into my life anymore."</p><p>His grip loosened as he quickly changed the subject back to Gabriel. "So any other hobbies?"</p><p>Gabriel decided it might be best not to comment on Sam's behaviour. He had tried that earlier in the office, but Sam seemed skilled at avoiding real answers. There was no need to test the limits twice in one night, especially with someone that was driving. Instead Gabriel answered honestly and talked about how much he loved to curl up on the couch with his cats and watch Netflix. </p><p>"You have cats?" Excitement filled Sam's voice again and Gabriel was glad for it. He wasn't sure what just happened, but was eager to move away from it, making the lighthearted conversation lighthearted again. </p><p> </p><p>"Three. They're called Socks, Mittens and Beanie."</p><p>Sam chuckled at the names before asking Gabriel about how he got them. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When Sam pulled into the parking garage of a large apartment complex, Gabriel was still talking about how Beanie had once tried to steal and open jar of beets that Gabriel had left on the counter, only to be covered in pink splashes for weeks. Gabriel had been so preoccupied by the story, he barely realized they had arrived until he noticed the switch between the natural light and the garage lighting. </p><p>Sam put his car on the loading dock after getting out, which gave Gabriel ample time to look around. The place was packed with Tesla's, BMW's and Audi's and there was a piece of art painted on the concrete wall in the back. If this was the parking lot, it was hard to imagine what the actual apartment would be like.</p><p>Of course he didn't have to imagine for long. He had been to distracted during their drive. But now that he had time to look, the apartment complex captivated him as soon as they walked out of the garage. The building looked like it was grabbed straight out of some futuristic movie. It was at least twenty stories high with each story slightly twisted to create the shape of a helix. There were windows covering a good part of the building and vertical gardens covering everything that wasn't glass. </p><p>It must have been obvious how impressed Gabriel was, since Sam proudly proclaimed. "I know. Amazing right." He sighed happily. "How about we get dinner first before I show you inside."</p><p>Gabriel followed the other as he listened to Sam's story about how he bought the apartment. "It was still in development 5 years ago, when I was looking to buy my own place for the first time." He explained. "But after seeing the architects sketches, I knew this was the place for me, even if I had to wait a year before I could actually move in." There was pride in his voice as he looked over his shoulder to admire his home. "It's almost completely self sustaining, there's a vegetable garden on the roof and it has a gym for all occupants. It's perfect"</p><p>Gabriel didn't care that much about the building, but he liked seeing Sam excited. "So you bought the apartment before it was even built."</p><p>"It's a good thing I did. By the time I could move in I had just met Ruby. She was less than excited about the place at first, but I had already signed the contract so there was no going back. Luckily she came to love it as well." </p><p>Gabriel smiled, glancing back at the building. "Why didn't she like it at first?" </p><p>Sam shrugged. "She could never really put a finger on why, but she kept telling me I had made a mistake buying the place. I'm glad she came around before I had to sell it, I don't think we'd find something that great again."</p><p>Gabriel looked at him curiously. Sam seemed so proud of his apartment, it was almost endearing. </p><p> </p><p>They stopped at a little shop that was nestled into a large building that took up the corner of the street. It was barely more than a counter with some chairs up front. Sam seemed to be friendly with the guy working the register. Sam recommended Gabriel a few things before he ordered for both them. As they waited for their food, Sam started getting into their plans for tonight and how he wanted to make a plan and preferably have a tangible outline ready at the end. Halfway through his sentence he gasped, grabbing for his phone. </p><p>The sudden motion startled Gabriel. His concern mixing with confusion as Sam started typing something. </p><p>Only after Sam put his phone away, he looked at Gabriel again. When he noticed the way Gabriel was looking at him, he gave an awkward smile that was probably meant to be reassuring. "Sorry." He said, tugging at his sleeve. "I just realized I forgot to text Ruby I'd be home early. I mean, she's probably still at the seminar anyway. It's just in case it's canceled or she left early... She doesn't like it when I come home early unannounced." He said, seeming a lot calmer after sending the text.</p><p>Gabriel didn't say a word, but apparently his expression conveyed enough as he gave Sam a slow nod. </p><p>"I know it sounds a bit odd, but she just has this anxiety about someone breaking in while she's home. We have this rule, I always text her at least ten minutes before I get home. I don't want to needlessly scare her." Sam explained. </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel was surprised at that. Ruby didn't seem like the sort of person that was easily scared by anything. Then again, everyone could have anxieties and it was sweet of Sam to be that considerate. Sam let out a small sigh. "I think she was looking forward to spending an evening alone after her seminar. Like I said, living and working together will do that to you." </p><p>"I'm sure it has it upsides too." Gabriel tried with a wiggle of his eyebrows. It wasn't his favorite topic in the world, but he didn't like seeing Sam this somber. </p><p>Sam let out a laugh. "Something tells me you want to hear about those upsides." He said, lifting an eyebrow. Gabriel couldn't help but notice the tinge of pink that colored Sam's cheek as he said it and the heat in his own face told him their expressions matched. At least Sam didn't seem angry or disgusted by Gabriel's seemingly apparent crush. He acted amused, like he didn't really think it was real.</p><p> </p><p>Gabriel was grateful to hear their order being called, cutting the conversation short and allowing Gabriel to not dwell on the fact that Sam seemed to know Gabriel thought he was attractive. Once they grabbed their order and made their way back to the apartment, they continued the discussion about their plans for the evening. </p><p>The entrance hall was nothing less than Gabriel expected at this point. It reminded him more of an upclass hotel, rather than an apartment complex. There were two sets of stairs and four elevators, which honestly seemed at least a little excessive. But it was nothing compared to the decor. The high ceiling was supported by helix-shaped pillars made out of frosted glass. There was probably a lightsource underneath, but it seemed like the pillars themselves lit up. Empty spaces were filled with lounge areas or plants. All this, just to decorate a room with the sole purpose of walking through when entering or leaving the building. </p><p>Sam didn't even seem to grasp how over the top the hall was. It made Gabriel feel a little uneasy, like he wasn't supposed to be in a place like this. The only reasurence he had that he was actually welcome was the smile Sam gave him as he led him to the elevator. Sam lived on the fourteenth floor and Gabriel was suddenly very grateful he wasn't scared of heights. The elevator was made out of glass on the outside of the building, and Gabriel could see the world beneath them getting smaller as it traveled up. </p><p>Once they reached the right floor, he followed Sam into the apartment. He couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed when Sam opened the door for him. The apartment was massive, with an open kitchen to the right and a lounge set to the left. Just like in Sam's office, one of the walls was made entirely out of glass. Because of the floor level, this meant Gabriel could look over the whole city. He could even see the little forest at the edge. </p><p>While Gabriel was distracted by the view, Sam made his way to the kitchen. "Can I get you anything to drink?" He asked. "We've got-" He stopped talking mid sentence, letting out a strangled sigh. </p><p>Gabriel turned around to see him holding one of the two empty wine glasses. All the color had drained from his face as as he examined them carefully. They were still stained red, with slight residue on the bottom. Sam twirled one of the glasses, the residue staining the glass further. </p><p>Gabriel made his way over, a wave of worry washing over him as he looked at the sheer emptiness in Sam's eyes. "Everything okay?" He asked, putting a hand on Sam's shoulder to pull his mind back into the present. </p><p>Sam looked at him, confused for a moment and Gabriel could swear Sam had forgotten he was even there. Then he smiled the concern away, nodding absentmindedly. "Yeah. We must have forgotten to clean these up last time we had wine." He said, still looking suspiciously pale. "You know how it is with dishwasher unfriendly stuff." He put the glass back on the counter, shaking his head before smiling again. "Now what can I get you?"</p><p>Gabriel tried not to react to the moodswings or small bursts of panic Sam had been having throughout the evening. Sam kept waving them off or changing the subject so he clearly didn't want to talk about what was bothering him.  </p><p> </p><p>Sam poured both of them a drink as they got settled at the kitchen table "How about we start making a timeline for the project?" He offered, getting out his laptop on the table. "I was thinking, we can spend about 10 hours a week on development. Ruby can approve 2 hours of paid over time a day and since we budgeted for Charlie, I'm sure we can do extra if the need arises.  </p><p>"Two hours a day?" Gabriel asked. He could really use that money, and two hours a day didn't feel like that much extra time to spend on something he liked. </p><p>Sam nodded. "We can meet every day at my office if you want. Get some dinner and work on the project. I'm pretty sure Ruby won't mind, right. I mean she's the one that came up with this whole thing." He said, like he was answering a question Gabriel was sure to raise.</p><p>Gabriel squinted before agreeing. "Sounds like a plan." </p><p>They spend the rest of the evening working on the plan. Ruby got home around 9 and Gabriel took that as his que to leave. True to his word, Sam drove him home. He was grateful for it, since the journey was twenty minutes by car, but over an hour with public transport. When Sam pulled into his street, Gabriel turned to him. "Thanks again for the opportunity and everything." He said, his voice a bit softer than it usually was.</p><p>Sam smiled. "No need to thank me. I really look forward to working on this project with you. Besides, Your work deserves to be recognized. You really know what you're doing and it's sad to see that not be as appreciated as it should be." Gabriel wasn't sure how to respond to that. He wasn't used to his work being praised by anyone besides his friends. Sam was kind enough to fill the silence as Gabriel struggled to respond. "I'll see you again on monday? half past five in my office?" </p><p>"See you then, Sam." Gabriel responded, a bit more at ease. He stepped out of the car, smiling to himself as he noticed that the passenger side of Sam's car finally looked a little used. He gave Sam a quick wave before he turned to enter his house. It might not look as impressive as Sam's appartment, but Gabriel didn't mind that it was small, nor that paint on his front door was flaking and the door itself creaked every time he opened it. This was familiar. This was home. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Gabriel walked into the office the next monday morning, he instantly noticed how much cleaner the whole building was. The air smelled of lemon, which he couldn't help but smile about. He had never really noticed the fact that the building was deep cleaned ever quarter. But now that he knew and he payed a little attention, the changes were pretty hard to ignore. He wasn't used to paying attention to the place he worked, apart from his own little space. After all, The Cave was the only place in the building he didn't hate. Maybe Sam's office should be added to that list as well.</p><p><br/><br/>The IT helpdesk opened at eight and Gabriel usually had no reason to arrive before then. From the moment he opened his work laptop, complaints started rolling in, so he made sure to delay that moment as long as possible. He was suddenly greatful his work laptop was to slow to comfortably work on the project. The IT department had to use some pretty intense programs to operate, but there was no real budget to buy equipment that could accommodate that. His own laptop had much better specs, but more than that, it meant no one could see he was already online now that he started early. </p><p>He honestly didn't even mind coming in earlier, if it was for something like this. He never realized how much he actually disliked his job until he was able to do something he did like. He had even worked on the project during the weekend, and he knew he needed some of the notes he had left on his desk to finish up what he had build so far.</p><p><br/><br/>When the door opened again, about half an hour later, Charlie walked through. She gasped when she saw someone already in The Cave, before she started laughing. "What are you doing here, you scared the bejesus out of me!" She said. "It's a quarter to eight..." </p><p>"I needed the list of requirements I forgot for the project, so I decided to get in a little early so I could go through them before my meeting." Gabriel explained as he held the notes up. </p><p>Charlie smiled wide, her eyes glowing with pride. "Look at you, being mister responsible!" </p><p>Gabriel rolled his eyes. He knew he had never really been the participating type. It was easier to stay on the sidelines and let everything play out the way it did as he kept his head down. All he ever longed for in a job was a place where he could do his thing without getting mixed up in office politics or be made to defend work he barely believed in. That was the only good thing about how undervalued IT was at Morningstar Inc. It mean he wasn't forced to play someone else's puppet, because no one cared for his opinion anyway.</p><p>That was what he liked about his team in the first place, it wasn't complicated. It might not always be the most rewarding work they were doing, but at least there was no fighting, no backstabbing. Just a save cave in the middle of a busy office that he shared with people who respected him. Gabriel liked that safety. At least until he started working with Sam. He could just feel himself getting dragged into office politics, but he was to invested in the project to pull back out. It did feel good in a way, to care about something he was working on and to feel proud of his work for once. </p><p>"I thought I'd give it a try." Gabriel shrugged. He was about to turn back to his project when he realized Charlie was just the person he needed. He pulled up a line of code he had been struggling with all weekend. "Hey, can you maybe look this over for a second. It's supposed to block any account that says their password is found within these databases, but it keeps blocking everything."</p><p>Charlie leaned over him. She had always been good at unraveling code. It took her less than a minute to point out the fault in Gabriel's logic gate. </p><p>Gabriel sighed. Now that Charlie pointed out the mistake, it seemed obvious. "Thanks Char. I can't believe I didn't see that before."  </p><p>"Don't worry about it, it must be difficult to read back your own code with hearts in your eyes." She grinned.</p><p>A matching grin formed on Gabriel's lips. "I have no idea what you're talking about."</p><p>"Oh come on. I wouldn't be able to concentrate on writing code if Princess Leia was right across from me. Sam might not be <em>that </em>level, but you know what I mean. Sharing a tight office space with a dreamy guy, who is also a very bad idea... Who can focus when faced with that?" </p><p>"We didn't just share an office space." Gabriel smirked, purposefully vague. </p><p>Charlie's eyebrows rose. "What did you do?" </p><p>"Well, he took me home and you know what happens there..." He wiggled his eyebrows, only to see Charlie's eyes grow wide. It was to much fun to mess with her. "We worked on the project." </p><p>Charlie shook her head, sighing in frustration. "Seriously, that's it?"</p><p>Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Of course that's it. He has a girlfriend. I'm bad, but I'm not like that." He said. "Besides, come on, have you seen him. Way out of my league." He reminded her.</p><p>"You're right about the girlfriend, but I do think you are selling yourself short. He looks at you in this weird way... Pretty sure you'd have a shot if he wasn't with someone." </p><p>The idea was nice enough, but that wasn't how Sam saw him. It couldn't be. "Doesn't matter, because he <em>is</em> with someone. And if I'm honest, I'm more than okay with just hanging out."</p><p>"Okay good." Charlie said. "Maybe that's better either way, I mean, Sam seems like an okay dude, but that girlfriend of his... There is something off about her." </p><p>"Shouldn't I be the one with the jealousy driven conspiracy theories?" Gabriel lifted an eyebrow, with a smirk still playing on his face. </p><p>Charlie rolled her eyes. "I'm just telling you to be careful. I know it's all just a big game to you, but if there is one thing I've learned from being part of management, it's that you don't want any of the corporate assholes against you, if you can help it." </p><p>Gabriel knew she was just looking out for him, but he couldn't help but laugh. "I'm pretty sure Ruby doesn't think I'm going to fuck her boyfriend." </p><p> </p><p>At that moment, the door opened again and Balthazar walked in, looking as grumpy as he did every morning. "Are you talking about Gabriel's boytoy again?" He asked as slowly made his way over to his desk. "So have you two fucked yet?" </p><p>"Why, jealous?" Gabriel shot back. </p><p>Balthazar rolled his eyes. "You wish. I've got my own strings to pull..."</p><p>Charlie grinned. "Oh do tell, whose strings are you pulling this time?" </p><p>"Unlike Gabriel, I know how to be discreet about the pleasures of life." </p><p>"You're no fun." Charlie told him as she turned to look at her screen. </p><p>With that, the conversation stopped again as they all started working on the tickets that had piled up over the weekend. They day seemed to tick by slowly until it was time for Gabriel to go up to Sam's office.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Since that day, Gabriel spend every evening with Sam in his office. Not only did he enjoy working with Sam, he also enjoyed the challenge of the work itself. He wasn't just programming anymore, instead, Sam told him about the legal implications of his ideas and they discussed how it would affect the business as a whole. </p><p>Sam's office started to feel familiar as well. He spend at least two hours a day there, ordering in food to eat at Sam's desk as they pondered over their own respective problems or talked about their life. Gabriel learned that Sam was quite the nerd himself, even if it didn't show on the surface. He understood most of Gabriel's older references and threw references back at him. They had even already agreed to watch the new Marvel movie together after work some time and had planned Sam would come over to Gabriel's some day to game again. They were vague promises, and easily forgotten, but Gabriel was happy that their interests aligned so much.</p><p>It was thursday on the second week when Sam suggested going to his house again because he was craving noodles from the place near his house again. Since they didn't deliver, they would have to drive there. And if they were already there, why not finish up at Sam's home. Gabriel couldn't argue with that.</p><p>Sam happily mentioned that Ruby would be there too, so he could join them for dinner, maybe she even had some input in the project. Apparently she had been very interesting to know what they were doing each night, so Sam figured it was also an opportunity to show her.</p><p> </p><p><br/><br/>When they were on their way back from the noodle place, walking to Sam's apartment, Sam suddenly remembered to text Ruby. "Whenever I'm with you, I always forget to text beforehand." He bit his lower lip as rushed out a text. "I hope she sees it on time so we don't scared her."</p><p>Gabriel nodded. He had grown quite fond of his time with Sam in the past two weeks. He wouldn't mind getting closer to Ruby. She was important to Sam, and in all honesty she had worked hard for the project to come to fruition as well. Even if Charlie thought she was kind of suspicious, Gabriel did consider Sam to be a friend by now, so of course he wanted to get to know his girlfriend better. He had also noticed that Sam talked less about her now that he had been spending a little time extra at the office each day. Apparently, the two didn't see each other that much during the week anymore. Ruby was also working on a project about twice a week that month, which meant she went to work earlier, so their time together was limited, not only after work, but before work as well.</p><p> </p><p>When they got to the apartment, Sam opened the door again to let Gabriel in first. It took him a moment to register what he was seeing, but it was undeniable. Ruby and Lucifer were working at the kitchen table. Their hair was tousled and their breathing still heavy, trying to calm down. Ruby's eyes shot up at the sound of the door opening, but Lucifer just kept staring at his laptop, a smirk clear on his face. </p><p>Before Gabriel had to figure out how to react to what was so blatant in front of him, Ruby got up with practiced grace. There was something sinister in the look she shot Gabriel as she walked over to kiss Sam's cheek. She held onto his arm again, but Sam seemed to baffled to even respond. "Hey babe, Luci and I decided to work on the project here for a little bit." She explained in a silky voice. Gabriel looked at the half empty bottle of red wine that was on the table between them. Gabriel eyed the woman, but didn't comment. She looked back at him narrowing her eyes, before kissing Sam's cheek again. Then she turned to Lucifer. "Luci, I think we are pretty much done for tonight, right? I'll see you tomorrow morning." Her voice was sweet, like it was dripping in honey.</p><p>All the color in Sam's face drained, but he still hadn't spoken.  He just looked at the other man, who barely acknowledged his presence as he finished his wine before getting up. The silence and tension seemed to please him, which in term seemed to annoy Ruby. Just when the tension got to high for anyone's comfort Sam spoke. "I didn't know you were involved in the redistributing of roles." He said, his voice had a sharp edge to it. Gabriel might not know much about management, but he knew Lucifer's portfolio had nothing to do with the accusatory tone Sam took. </p><p>Lucifer stood up, the smirk still plastered on his face as he made his way over. There was no sign that he took offence in Sam's tone. He stopped right in front of him. Eventhough he wasn't as tall as Sam, there was no doubt that he was looking down on him. "Why wouldn't I be. I'm the big boss remember, so I have a say in who is assigned what."</p><p>Gabriel couldn't help but feel like there was a clear threat in those words. Sam seemed to notice as well. "Of course." His body was tense, but he didn't look nervous. Lucifer didn't change his pose, his threat still clear. After another moment of silence Sam spoke again. "So are you staying or going? Gabriel an I have a lot of work to do."</p><p>"Oh, I'll leave. I wouldn't dare interfering on you and your little pet... Project." He said, grinning at Gabriel as he paused within the word. Ruby just smirked behind her hand, but Gabriel knew he was meant to see it. There was something about the way she was acting that made Gabriel nervous. Like it was all a big play and she was the lead actress.<br/><br/></p><p>Lucifer wasn't completely done it seemed. His eyes fell on Gabriel with the same nefarious intent. Even though Gabriel could see right through him, it still affected him, making him feel smaller already.  "Oh Gabriel... Remind Balthazar to come check out my laptop tomorrow, just tell him I need another fix." Lucifer smirked and Gabriel had to work hard not to punch him in that arrogant face of his.</p><p>"Will do." He forced out instead. Charlie's words were still playing in his head 'Don't turn the corporate assholes against you'. If Sam could do it, so could he.</p><p> </p><p>Gabriel was glad that Lucifer left quickly after that little showdown. Ruby turned to Sam. the grip on his arm still tight. "I hadn't expected you home so early, you could have let me know." Gabriel wasn't sure if she was serious, was she really acting like Sam was in the wrong here. "I know you don't like Luci all that much, I wouldn't have invited him to come over if you had considered telling me more than two minutes in advance. We just decided if would be easier to work from here," Gabriel caught her glare. She looked as amused as she looked furious, but her voice was still the same soft tone. "Just like you and Gabriel did, again."  </p><p>Sam looked at her, his face expressionless. "Sorry." He simply said, walking passed Ruby and sitting down at the table. Gabriel followed him, completely dumbfounded. He tried to catch the others eyes, hoping to at least understand a little of what just happened and why Sam apologized. When their eyes did meet, Sam's empty expression turned stern. He looked at Ruby again, more anger creeping into his face. "Well, me and Gabe are going to work here for a little while, unless you mind that." He added in a cold tone. </p><p>Ruby shook her head, ignoring the blatant hostility in Sam's voice. She dropped down on the couch. "I'll just read for a little if you two are going to work. Unless you mind me being here?" She added, narrowing her eyes. Gabriel could feel her scanning him. </p><p>"Not at all."</p><p> </p><p>Although their argument was clearly about more, Gabriel couldn't shake the feeling it also had something to do with him. Whatever it was, he wasn't planning on staying in that position for long. "I need to go home early anyway." He blurted out, without any real forthought on why that would be the case. </p><p>"Oh?" Sam's brow creased before the realisation hit him. He eyed Ruby who was looking at both of them expectantly, her eyebrows raised as she waited for the explanation as well.</p><p>Gabriel was lying through his teeth, but he didn't feel like being in the centre of a conflict for longer than he had to be. "Yeah, I've got a date. I assumed we'd been done pretty quick. He's meeting me around eight. But I can easily make it if we stick to two hours today." It wasn't his best lie, but it wasn't the worst either. At least this way he could get out of Sam's hair and Ruby's kill range. With the drive here and the time it took to get noodles and what seemed like almost catching Ruby and Lucifer, they'd only have a little over an hour left. Gabriel could stomach that if he tried.</p><p>"Yeah that's no problem." Sam assured him with a little nod before he put the wine glasses on the counter and poured a glass of water for Gabriel and himself. Ruby seemed pleased enough with the answer to lower her intense stare and pick up a book instead.</p><p> </p><p>It was pretty surreal to see Sam acting the way he was. He was usually quick with a laugh and overall confident, but Ruby seemed to have some sort of power over him that made him less animated. He moved around carefully, his eyes flicking over to her every few seconds. Even though she was just reading on the couch, her presence couldn't be ignored. </p><p>Gabriel and Sam didn't really talk during dinner either, instead they both worked on their side of the project in silence. It wasn't as much fun without the interruptions of Sam finding and explaining some relevant case law or active litigation. He had grown quite fond of Sam's quirks in the past two weeks. He also had to hold himself back to not ask Sam what he thought about certain queries, or explain to him what he had just programmed. Sam might not be knowledgeable on coding as a whole, but he had the initial logic down cold and he was willing to learn about the actual language. It made him quite a good sparring partner. <br/><br/></p><p>Working in silence, with unspoken tension made Gabriel uncomfortable. As soon as it was seven thirty he got up. "Sorry," He muttered, seeing his sudden action had startled Sam. "I really need to leave now if I don't want to be late." Other nights he and Sam would usually work way pass the two hours that were allotted for the project. They had reached 9 pm twice already, but today he wasn't staying an extra minute if he could help it.</p><p>Sam didn't say anything as Gabriel gathered his stuff. Ruby looked up from over her book. "Already? I thought you and Sam were usually at it a lot longer." She asked, her eyes shooting daggers. </p><p>Gabriel looked at her for a second, wondering why she was suddenly so hostile to him. "Like I said, I've got a date." </p><p>"Oh right, your sudden date." She said slowly. "Well have fun with that then. I'm sure I'll see you around."</p><p>The comment was probably meant to rile him up, but he chose to ignore Ruby as he packed up. </p><p>To his surprise, Sam got up as well when Gabriel was ready to leave. "I'll drive you."</p><p>One quick look told him just what Ruby thought about that. Her eyes held fire like she was ready to personally drag both of them to hell. Gabriel looked at Sam, who seemed to have noticed as well. His face was once again completely blank, no emotion seeping through. "Are you sure?"</p><p>"Can't have you being late to your big date." As he looked at Gabriel, his expression softened and it was probably the first time since Sam saw Lucifer that he actually smiled, even if the smile was forced.</p><p>Gabriel smiled back at him. "Thanks." </p><p> </p><p>Ruby said nothing as the two men left. Once they were inside the elevator Sam looked at him. He was smiling, but only just barely. Gabriel eyed him curiously, which made Sam's smile grow into a smirk. "So this date, how big is the chance it's with three cats?" He asked.</p><p>Of course Sam didn't buy his excuse, but at least he didn't seem to mind the little white lie. "That's not the point."</p><p>The sound of Sam's chuckle filled him with surprise. Sam had been so stressed and rigid just a few minutes ago. But now that they were alone, he stopped walking on eggshells. He still looked apologetic, even as he smiled. "Thanks."</p><p>Gabriel nodded, he knew what Sam was thanking him for, but honestly, he was happy to leave early. Once they were in the car and there was no one that could hear them, Sam sighed. "Sorry for tonight." </p><p>"Can I ask what the hell was going on? I mean, if I have to draw my own conclusions, you're not going to like them." Gabriel told him honestly as he studied Sam's face. </p><p>A sigh left Sam before he answered. "It's not like that." His voice was heavy as he looked away and his nails dug into the steering wheel leaving little marks as he cut into it. A part of Gabriel expected Sam to switch his mood again like everything was fine, but something told him Sam wanted to talk. He let the silence linger as Sam made no move to actually start the car. "I thought so to, but that's not fair on Ruby. Lucifer is our boss, of course she needs to feel free to see him without me assuming anything." He looked like he was reasoning with himself, rather than with Gabriel. "And I mean, even if there is a history between them, I can't hold that against her forever."</p><p>He turned to look at Gabriel, who was at a loss for words. "I'm sorry if I acted weird tonight. Sometimes I just can't help but feel there is something going on between them. I know that that's my fault. I mean, my ex used to cheat all the time and I'm projecting that onto Ruby. That's not fair to her. It's selfish of me to want them to stay away from each other and I can't ask that of her." He let out a deep sigh as he grasped at the straws he needed to make sense of the story. The was a need in his words for Gabriel to tell him he was right. </p><p>But Gabriel couldn't pretend that he hadn't seen the state in which they had caught them. He was pretty sure the situation would have been even more of a mess if Sam hadn't texted at all. He couldn't just flat out say that, not when Sam so desperate to blame himself. "I don't know." Gabriel started, choosing his words carefully. "I'm not the one to ask what was happening. But I don't think it's wrong for you to question why he was there, especially if there's some history." </p><p>"I mean, there's sort of a history..." Sam said, already paddling back his remark. "Have you ever been to the office christmas party?"</p><p>Gabriel shook his head, still trying to study Sam. "Nothing good ever happens at office parties."</p><p>A humorless laugh followed. "You're right about that." Sam swallowed as he mentally prepared himself to tell the story. "Well Ruby and Lucifer both got a little drunk two years ago. It's not a big deal, it happens you know. I mean, it wasn't really cheating. I've been through that with my ex. This was different. It was just a kiss when both of them were too drunk to think about it."</p><p>Gabriel looked at Sam. The other was usually so outgoing and confident, but he just seemed wrecked now. Gabriel was convinced Sam was right, but he able to deny what was in front of him so ferverently, there was no use in convincing him otherwise. Especially since he had no proof. But he needed Sam to know he was not alone. "If you ever need to talk, or if something happens, you got my number, you know where I live." He told him instead.<br/><br/>"Yeah... Let's get you there..." Sam answered with half a smile before he started the car. They drove in relative silence for about ten minutes before Sam started the conversation again. Gabriel could sense he didn't have a lot of people to talk to about this sort of stuff. </p><p>"You know what the problem is. We've been on shaky ground for some time now if I'm honest. I feel like I can't talk to her about why I don't feel comfortable with Lucifer coming over. I don't really want to make a wrong move and blow down the card house I spend the last few years building, just because I'm jealous. And I know how much she hates my jealousy. She says I keep blaming her for someone else's mistakes."</p><p>Gabriel huffed, he was right about that line of thought being Ruby's instead of Sam's. "If something bothers you, seems like you should be able to talk about it... What good is holding on if you are not happy. Then again, what do I know, I'm not even with anyone." </p><p>Sam laughed, although it again didn't reach his eyes. "As far as I know, you have a date tonight." He reminded Gabriel. "But maybe you're right, maybe I should just talk to her." </p><p>"I've got some wisdom every now and again." Gabriel said with a grin. </p><p>Sam dropped Gabriel of in front of his house. "I'll see you again tomorrow."</p><p>"Good luck tonight." Gabriel told him before he closed the door to the car. He gave Sam a small wave as he drove off.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Because it's only a short chapter, I decided to publish this as a little weekend extra.<br/>Look out for Wednesdays chapter though! I'm already excited I get to share it in a few days :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next day, Gabriel was reminded of the awkward meeting at Sam's as soon as he walked into The Cave and saw Balthazar. He gave a doubtful look. "Hey Balth, I saw Lucifer yesterday. He told me to tell you need to come see him. He says he needs another fix." As he said it, he wondered why he was playing Lucifer's messenger boy in the first place.</p><p>Baltazar looked up from his computer, eying him with suspicion. "When did you see Lucifer?" He asked, crossing his arms.  </p><p>"He was at Sam's place yesterday. I don't know if he knows about our deal, but he seems to realize you are the only one handling his tickets, since he asked for you specifically." <br/><br/>Balthazar's wary frown changed into a smirk. "You were at Sam's apartment again?" He clarified. "Wait... What was Lucifer even doing there. And what were you doing there..? Is there something playing between you and Sam?" He asked in a conspiratorial tone. "You know I wouldn't judge you, I've definitely done worse. I would however tease you relentlessly."</p><p>Gabriel smirked at that. He didn't doubt either statement. "If I'm completely honest... It's not like that with Sam. I mean, don't get me wrong, the guy is a straight ten..." </p><p>"Emphasis on straight?" Charlie quipped, dropping into the conversation.</p><p>Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Even so. I just went over there to work, get your minds out of the gutter." </p><p>"Why was Lucifer at your meeting though." Charlie asked with a raised eyebrow. "I didn't think he'd take an interest in anything IT related." </p><p>Balthazar huffed out a laugh and Gabriel realized if anyone knew how true that was, it was Balthazar. When he didn't explain what was so funny about the comment, Gabriel ignored his laugh and answered Charlie instead. "He wasn't there for our project. He's doing a project with Ruby. She said they were changing up the business roles. As soon as Sam and I arrived he left though. He and Sam don't really get along." <br/><br/>"Since when are all meetings at home? I mean, I hate meetings at work more than enough, why would I take that stuff home with me." </p><p>"I mean, they've got a great apartment. It's a shame not to use it, I think." </p><p>Balthazar rolled his eyes. "I think Sam is just the sort of sap that takes everyone home. That guy I've been seeing for the last three years has a massive place. 20th floor, great view. But he makes it a point never to take work home with him. And I don't see him meeting at someone else's home just to work." He snickered.</p><p>The stories of all Balthazar's hookups and the guy he was seeing never included any names. The most he ever told them was that they were in an open relationship and it suited both of them just fine. That didn't matter to Gabriel or Charlie, he could love however he wanted, but they were starting to get curious about who this guy was exactly. </p><p>"Are you ever going to tell us who this great guy is?" Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow. </p><p>"What would be the fun in that..." Balthazar smirked as he got up. "Now how about I see what Luci wants from me." He left before either of them could ask anything else.</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="">There was a smirk on Charlie's lips as she watched Baltazar leave. She turned back to her computer, looking through her email. "Just like I thought." She sighed, turning to Gabriel. "They completely forget to notify me about changing the roles. Last time they did that, it took days to implement the changes into everyone's profile. I wonder what they've even been doing so far, since they haven't even requested any of the data from the current groups." </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="">Gabriel almost didn't notice the frustration in Charlie's voice. Her rant was enough to confirm what he suspected. The project they had been working was bullshit. He couldn't just tell Sam that of course, but at least Gabriel was sure about what he had seen now. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Around lunchtime Sam came to visit The Cave to tell Gabriel that he wouldn't have time to meet him that evening. He was taking Ruby out to eat. Sam wasn't going to mention last night with Charlie and Balthazar there, but Gabriel assume it meant they were going to talk. He hoped it would be enough, since there was no doubt in his mind something had happened last night between Ruby and Lucifer. </p><p>Since they were far ahead for schedule, it wasn't a big deal if they missed a night. He told Sam that, as well as assuring him some things had a higher priority.  </p><p>There seemed to be an understanding when Sam thanked him. Before he headed out of the cave he made sure to ask Charlie if there were any updates planned that he should know about.</p><p> </p><p>Charlie told him there weren't, but added "I heard Ruby and Lucifer are changing up the business roles. I haven't heard anything about it yet, and it's a very IT heavy process so could you ask them to inform me of the changes and make me part of it? I'm not sure how much they can do without me if I'm honest." </p><p>"You haven't heard anything about that yet?" Sam asked confused. </p><p>Charlie shook her head. "Nothing besides Gabriel mentioning it." She clarified. "But I would appreciate to be informed in a normal way, not because someone in my team happened to hear something. Could you tell Ruby that. This is one of the things in my portfolio after all." </p><p>If the words hadn't broken Sam, Gabriel would be proud of the respectful but direct way Charlie stood up for herself. But it was had to feel anything but worried as he knew Sam's world just shifted.</p><p>"Yeah I'll uh... I'll let her know." He muttered in a soft tone that sounded nothing like himself. </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel caught Sam's eyes and Sam tried to look away before Gabriel could read him, but he saw the betrayal bright as day. He walked out without saying goodbye, and Gabriel was pretty sure his hand was shaking as he reached for the door handle. All he wanted to do was go after him to comfort Sam, but he knew he shouldn't, not here.</p><p>Charlie looked at Gabriel, lifting her eyebrow. "Did I say something wrong?" She asked.</p><p>Gabriel bit his lip. "I don't know." </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gabriel was playing Raft with Charlie via Discord that friday after work. Most of his free time was spend like that, gaming with Charlie or Balthazar or people online. It might sound lonely, but he loved spending time with them like that. </p><p>He hadn't really had time to game after work anymore, now that he spend every weeknight working on the project with Sam. Of course he stilled played with them on the weekends. During college he spend a lot of time going out, but now he was more than content with staying inside to play games with his friends.</p><p>This way he could stay comfortable in his own home, surrounded by his cats. While they played, Mittens usually tried to get him to pet her. Eventually she would always settle down on his lap. She was the oldest of his cats and her beautiful light grey fur was already getting a bit more white over time. She had been with Gabriel since he was a student. When he had to go looking for a job he decided Mittens needed a friend, since he would be away to much, and Mittens liked attention.  That's when he adopted Beatrix, or as he called her, Beanie. <br/>Beanie made sure to stay close to Gabriel and Mittens at all times. When Gabriel was gaming, she preferred laying on top of the pc under his desk. It got nice and hot for her to relax on top off.  His last cat, Socks, was from a litter from a friend of his brother. She was blind in one eye and she wasn't that fond of people. The owners of the mother had no idea what to do with Socks, since they weren't allowed another cat in the apartment and no one wanted to take her. When Castiel told Gabriel about the kitten, he decided to take her in almost immeaditly.<br/>Even though he and Socks got along better than Socks usually got along with people, she still wasn't the most cuddly cat. She had her own spot in the house, the cardboard box in which they delivered the cat bed that was actually meant for her. </p><p>Gabriel was getting into the game when the doorbell suddenly rang. Beanie already got up to see who it was. Gabriel told Charlie to hang on for a second and picked Mittens up, carrying her to the door. Beanie was already miauwing at Gabriel to open. Luckily his cats never tried to escape so he could just open the door without having to worry about them getting out. He wasn't expecting anyone, and no one he knew was the kind of person to drop in unannounced. </p><p>When he opened the door, he wasn't sure how to react to the man in front of him. He certainly hadn't expected Sam to show up all of a sudden, the one night they weren't working together. But there he stood. He was shaking lightly and his eyes were red. "Sam." Gabriel said, worried. <br/><br/></p><p>Gabriel was still holding Mittens, but Beanie made her way over right away, inspecting the unknown man.  <br/>"I uh... I hope it's not a bad time." Sam asked. He smiled an empty smile at the cat that was rubbing her head against Sam's leg. His face was drained of all color and his voice was hoarse. Gabriel shook his head as he stepped aside to let the other in, followed by the cat. <br/>"Not at all. Come in, sit down." He motioned over to the couch. When Sam sat down Beanie eyed him warily before hopping onto his lap. Sam started petting the cat softly. Gabriel could hear a slight murmur coming from his headset and realized Charlie was still waiting for him.<br/>"Let me close my game." He put his headset back on. "Hey Charlie, something's come up. I'll talk to you later okay." </p><p>"Everything okay?" She asked, her voice worried. <br/>"Yeah, just something came up." He assured her before closing the game and disconnecting from discord. Sam looked at him grateful. He hadn't explained why he was there yet, but Gabriel had was pretty sure something happened during dinner. <br/><br/> <br/>"So, what happened?" Gabriel asked as he sat down on the couch next to Sam.<br/>"I uh... I left Ruby." He said, He stayed quiet for a bit before letting out a big sigh. "I'm sorry for bothering you with this... I don't have a lot of people I trust and I sorta just drove here straight after the fight." <br/>Gabriel shook his head. "That's no problem, I promise. Just talk. What happened during dinner?" Gabriel asked. <br/>Sam sighed again. "We didn't even get to the restaurant." Sam said. "When she was getting ready in the bathroom, I saw she left her phone. She usually never leaves her phone in another room, but she must have forgotten. I normally wouldn't have looked... But I saw a message sent by 'new girl from hr'..." <br/>Gabriel looked at him confused. <br/>Sam sighed. "It's a code name, my ex did it as well to hide all the texts from the other guy. Apparently Ruby learned that trick as well. It was Lucifer." Sam's voice sounded strangled as he tried to continue. "It said he'd take her for dessert tomorrow... I know I should have left it at that, but I couldn't ignore it. I'm navive, but I'm not an idiot... So I looked through her phone. They've been texting since long before the Christmas party I told you about. It's been over two years now. She's been telling him all kind of stuff about me as well... About..." </p><p>He put his head in his hands as he shook off that thought. "I really thought she was the one you know. She had to be." Sam said his voice desperate. As he looked up at Gabriel his eyes looked so insistent, like he could will it into being. Gabriel put a hand on Sam's shoulder. The tension in the other man dropped a little. <br/>"She was going to leave me either way... But apparently she was planning on making it my fault. That way she'd be able to be the one heartbroken at work. She and Lucifer had it all figured out." <br/>Gabriel didn't have much he could say the that. The idea of someone going that out of their way to hurt anyone, let alone someone as kind as Sam. He wouldn't put it past Lucifer, but he hadn't expected it from Ruby. Even after last night, she seemed to want to hold on to Sam. Either that, or she had played Gabriel as well. </p><p>They sat in silence for a little while, Gabriel's hand on Sam's shoulder as he buried his face in his hands and sobbed. Beanie was pressed against him tightly and the cat seemed to offer Sam some comfort.<br/>When Sam had calmed down a little, petting Beanie softly as tears still staining his cheeks, Gabriel got up. <br/>"I'm going to pour both of us a good glass of Whiskey." he decided. <br/>Sam looked at him and Gabriel had never seen the other look this small. "Thanks." He just told him, voice rough from the sobs<br/>.<br/>Gabriel hurried over to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Whiskey and two glasses. He put them on the table and poured a glass for both of them. "So, she's been cheating on you all that time?" <br/>"Yeah." Sam answered. He reached for the glass and took a big gulp before he continued. "I think I always sort of knew." He admitted. "I just thought we'd grow past this. I can't have every relationship end like this, you know." He said. <br/>Gabriel remembered Sam talking about an ex cheating on him as well. It had to be hard to be hurt like that twice.<br/>"I just really wanted it to work. I mean, she's all I have, you know." Sam sighed. Gabriel had never seen Sam like this, he was usually so calm and composed, but right now, he was just a mess. <br/>Gabriel squeezed his shoulder again. He had never been great at talking about feelings, but he didn't want to leave Sam alone in this state. Sam let out a loud sigh, more tired than anything else. "In the last few years, I've barely seen any of my friends. She kept saying they made her uncomfortable, or that they reminded her of my old life. I wanted this to work so badly, and than it was my only option." <br/>He took another long drink before looking over at Gabriel. "I'm sorry for dumping this all on you." He told Gabriel, who rolled his eyes. <br/>"Stop apologizing. I don't mind. I'm just not sure what to say to all this. I mean, she sounds like a straight up bitch." <br/>"She is." Sam laughed a little. "And she hates you." He added, pouring himself another glass after looking at Gabriel for permission.<br/> <br/>Gabriel nodded, but he was confused by what Sam said. He wasn't bothered by the fact, but he did wonder when, and why, that was brought up. Either in their fight or in the texts to Lucifer. <br/>"Well, after what she did to you, I hate her as well, so that's good." He told Sam. Sam smiled at that. "So, did you talk to her after everything or did you just leave?" He asked. <br/>"She walked in as I was looking through the images she had been sending Lucifer last year. She got angry, telling me I was a bad boyfriend and I needed to respect her privacy. I told her I had seen enough to know just who had been the bad person in this. <br/>"And then I got this whole speech about how Lucifer respects her and I don't. How they are in love and how I was the one that drove her away in the first place. And that she knew I was planning to cheat on her, so I was being a hypocrite." <br/>Gabriel looked at Sam surprised, but Sam just looked away. "I'd never do that to anyone. She knows that, or at least I thought she did." He sighed. "I just. I don't know. I didn't want to be alone. Maybe I shouldn't have come here."<br/>"You're not alone, Sam. And I'm glad you came here." Gabriel assured him. <br/>Sam sighed. "Maybe I've made a big mistake. I mean... She felt like I didn't appreciate her all this time. It wasn't fair on her either, don't you think." <br/>"Honestly, I don't know what to think. I think she is definitely in the wrong here, and has been for some time. I also think you want this to be a mistake so you can try going back there." Gabriel admitted. If Sam wanted honesty, Gabriel could offer. Maybe it was even good for Sam to hear it.<br/>"What?" <br/>"You just told me she pretty much made you lose all contact with anyone besides her. You literally said you needed it to work out, not that you wanted it to." Gabriel reminded him. "I've been with some guys that tried tricks like that. They try to make you need them." <br/><br/>"Why didn't I see this before?" Sam asked, his voice sounding almost desperate for answers. Gabriel shrugged. "Because you didn't want to see it." He simply said. "But you did see it. You saw the empty glasses of wine, the way they looked when we walked in on them. I'm sure you've seen it all around." Gabriel said. "Don't beat yourself up over it. This was her manipulation." He assured him. <br/>Sam sighed. "I feel like such an idiot." <br/><br/>After a long silence the tears came back. Sam started crying again and Gabriel wasn't sure what to do. He had never been good at dealing with feelings and he knew nothing he could say right now would be a comfort to Sam. He was probably working through years of manipulations in his head, trying to figure out what was real. <br/>Gabriel softly rubbed Sam's back, before he pulled him in for a hug. It was the least Sam could do to show Gabriel he wasn't alone.<br/>Sam looked up at Gabriel with the most desperate look in his eyes, as he put his hand on Gabriel's cheek, leaning in closer. </p><p>If Ruby hadn't existed, Gabriel would have gone for it, not only did Sam look exactly like Gabriel's type, he was kind and sweet and funny. But he was also at that moment vulnerable and desperately looking for something to cling to.<br/>As soon as Gabriel felt Sam's lips on his, he pulled back. Sam's eyes shot open. He seemed frozen for a second, before it seemed to click what he had just done. Or at least tried doing. "Gabe I'm sorry, I..."<br/>"It's fine. Happens to the best of us." Gabriel said, for once his head didn't fill with inappropriate jokes to make to defuse the tension. Well, it did, but he didn't say them out loud. Instead he pulled Sam into a hug again. A full hug this time. Sam clung to him, sobbing on his shoulder. "Thank you." Was all Gabriel could make out in between Sam's sobs. </p><p>When Sam was a little more calmed down again the two pulled back. Sam's eyes were red from crying and the tears still stained his cheeks. Gabriel wiped a tear away with his thumb. <br/>Sam smiled a little through his tears. "I might be insulting you, but you really are a nice person you know." <br/>Gabriel smirked a little. "It's my best kept secret. So what is your plan for tonight, you need to stay here?" <br/>Sam looked unsure. "I was planning on booking a room in a hotel or something, but I probably shouldn't drive anymore." He said, looking at the bottle of Whiskey. "Are there any hotels in walking distance?"  <br/>Gabriel shook his head. "If that's your plan, I'll have to disappoint you." He said. <br/>Sam looked at him unsure. <br/>"I'm not going to leave you on your own tonight. You are not prone to make smart decisions right now." He didn't comment on the kiss, but they both understood it was at least partially about that. Sam nodded, looking away from the other. <br/>Gabriel gave half a smile. "How about you spend the night on my couch and we'll look for a hotel tomorrow if you'd rather stay there afterwards."<br/>"Thank you." Sam said, giving Gabriel half a smile. <br/>"No need. It's the least I can do. Now, how I pour us another drink and you continue talking until it's out of your system." He offered. <br/>Sam nodded, taking the glass after Gabriel poured it. <br/><br/>He once again told Gabriel how Ruby had changed him. Told him how much she had been there for him and how angry he was, how guilty he felt. How he wished he never found out and how he wished he had found out earlier. Sam was definitely a mess at that point. His logic fell completely by the wayside. <br/>Gabriel wished he had been better at knowing what to say, but he sensed that just letting Sam talk through it was important as well. <br/><br/>He also wished he had told Sam earlier about his suspicions. He had hinted at it, but Sam was to invested to respond to that. Ruby and Lucifer barely even tried to hide their affair. He also didn't think it was his place to tell Sam. He had only known him for a few weeks now, and even though he considered Sam a friend, something the other seemed to agree with, they weren't close enough for Gabriel to suddenly start accusing Sam's girlfriend. <br/>Sam didn't seem to blame Gabriel at all luckily. He was more than willing than to tell his story several times over, which made Gabriel wonder when the last time was that Sam had been able to vent like that. </p><p>At the end of the night, after more than half a bottle of whiskey and several hours of talking, Sam started to jawn. He was crashing now that all the adrenaline had rushed out of his body. Gabriel quickly got up to grab him some blankets and a pillow. He was pretty beat as well, but Sam seemed positively exhausted. <br/>He handed Sam the blankets. "If you need anything else during the night, the kitchen it there, bathroom is there and I'm just upstairs." He told Sam. "Don't hesitate to wake me up." <br/><br/>"Again, thank you. Really." Sam said as he arranged the pillow and blanket. Gabriel smiled. "Don't mention it." <br/>As he walked up the stair, he could see Mittens following him. Usually Mittens and Beanie both slept in Gabriel's room, but it seemed like Beanie had decided to stay with Sam instead. <br/><br/></p><p>Before Gabriel tried to get to sleep, he checked his phone. He had several texts from Charlie. <br/>'<em>What's going on, everything okay?'<br/>'Who was at your door?'<br/>'Gabe answer me when you read this, I'm getting worried.'</em></p><p>He liked knowing Charlie cared that much about him, even if she had no reason to be worried. </p><p>'<em>I'm fine. A friend showed up feeling bad. Had to comfort him.' </em><br/><br/>He didn't want to tell her the friend was actually Sam. He didn't think Sam would appreciate him talking about his relationship issues. He also imagined Charlie would probably draw her own conclusions about that. She knew Gabriel well enough to know he didn't have to many friends outside of her and Balth.  </p><p>Gabriel put his phone away and closed his eyes. It was hard to get to sleep, but the whiskey made it possible. He hoped the same was true for Sam, since the other definitely deserved some rest. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Gabriel woke up that saterday, it took him a second to remember Sam was actually downstairs. That him coming over hadn't been some weird fever dream. He rubbed his eyes and Mittens took the opportunity to nestle in between his arms purring softly. </p><p>"We can't stay in bed darling." Gabriel told the cat as he forced himself to get up. He picked Mittens up and carried her downstairs, where Sam was still sleeping with Beanie curled up on top of his blanket. He smiled at the sight, glad Sam had managed to fall asleep. Gabriel tried to be as quiet as possible going into the kitchen.<br/>
He put Mittens on the ground and the cat twirled around him as he prepared scrambled eggs and toast. To give sam some extra time to rest, he stayed in the kitchen until he could hear the sound of Sam waking up. As soon as he heard Sam asking Beanie if she had slept well, Gabriel made his way over He was carrying breakfast for two. Sam smiled at him, holding Beanie so she wouldn't fall when Sam sat up. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>"Morning." Sam said in a gruffy morning voice that caught Gabriel off guard completely and he had to remind himself it was not the right time for innapropriate jokes about how he liked hearing that every morning.<br/>
Gabriel smiled back. "Morning." He answered. "Hungry?" <br/>
Sam nodded. "Definitely." He took the plate gratefully and Gabriel set his own plate down to feed the cats first . </p><p>"How are you feeling?" Gabriel asked from the kitchen. Sam stayed silent for a moment before letting out a big sigh. "Honestly, I don't know." He answered. "I'm grateful I'm not alone right now." He admitted. <br/>
Gabriel smiled at that as he put the cat food in the three bowls. "You are free to stay as long as you want, but if you need to hang out a little longer, maybe we can look for something a bit more comfortable than the couch." Gabriel offered. <br/>
<br/>
Another silence followed, and Gabriel wondered if his invite had been too forward. In all honesty, despite working together every day during the last two weeks, they hadn't know each other for that long.<br/>
Gabriel never quite knew where the line was between distant and friendly, and between friendly and<em> too friendly</em>. Especially since Sam knew Gabriel thought he was attractive and Sam had even tried to kiss him in a moment of weakness. <br/>
After a second Sam answered from the livingroom. "No, it's fine. I won't bother you any longer." He assured Gabriel. Gabriel put the just filled water bowls on the ground before returning to Sam.<br/>
"I'm fine with anything. I'm telling you it's not a bother." He told Sam again. "I mean come on, who doesn't want to say they have a live in hunk." <br/>
The remark slipped passed his lips before he realized, but he still grinned. He expected the subject to bring tension, or to make Sam blush. Instead he laughed. It was a genuine laugh, and it almost felt like everything was okay again. Gabriel knew Sam was far from okay, but the laugh was a good first step. </p><p>"So that's what I'm good for." Sam chuckled Lifting his eyebrow playfully. <br/>
Gabriel smirked, happy to see Sam smile again. "Bragging rights are very important okay." He countered. <br/>
Sam shook his head, still laughing as he started his breakfast. "If Ruby could hear you right now, I'm sure she'd be furious." The mood dropped a little as he said it, and Gabriel couldn't help but notice Sam's expresion fall.<br/>
"I'm just teasing, Sam." Gabriel said softly.<br/>
Sam smiled softly, but it wasn't as genuine as it had been before. "I know, Gabe. It's fine. She was just very jealous. When ever I hung out with anyone except her, she'd tell me I was probably cheating. I guess I now understand why her mind went to that conclusion first." He shook his head as he huffed out a soft laugh.<br/>
Gabriel looked at Sam, he seemed to be doing a lot better than he was yesterday.<br/>
"At least you don't have to worry about her anymore." Gabriel reminded him. <br/>
"I guess... It's weird how she is still playing with my head even now still. Even just sitting here, I feel like I'm supposed to have some excuse for when I get home." <br/>
"That's not healthy." Gabriel muttered.<br/>
Sam shrugged. "I was used to it." He explained, clearly not comfortable with facing how much he had been manipulated by Ruby. He looked at Gabriel and bit his lip softly, as if he was thinking something over. "I do need to talk to you about something else..." He started. Gabriel could see that whatever topic Sam wanted to discus made him nervous. Gabriel thought it would either be about Sam trying to kiss him, or about Sam wanting to clarify he wasn't actually interested.</p><p>"I don't think anything is going to come from the project." Sam admitted, letting out a big sigh. <br/>
Gabriel had to do a mental switch to realize what project Sam was talking about. "Why not, it has nothing to do with Ruby..."<br/>
"Well, she is the one that convinced Lucifer it was worth it, but not for the reasons we imagined... One of the texts I read said that Ruby had found something to keep me busy... All Lucifer had to do was invite 'that lesbian in IT' to the board meeting." Sam made a face as he said it, and Gabriel could just feel the anger. "It got lost between everything I was learning all at once, but I just realized...  It was never their plan to actually go through with it. The whole thing was to keep me busy, so they could meet at our apartment."</p><p>Gabriel had to keep calm, but he wanted to scream. This project had been the first time he had stuck his neck out for anything at work. He worked so hard, he actually cared about the project. For the first time it felt like his work had a purpose...<br/>
 Not to mention what it would do to Charlie. He could still see her excitement at being invited to the meeting. "They can't just do that." Gabriel mumbled.<br/>
He knew it wasn't the worst thing Ruby had done by far, but it still stung that the first time he loved his job, it was some sort of ploy too hurt someone he had grown to care about.<br/>
Sam looked at him apologetic. "I didn't mean for you to get dragged into this." He sighed. Gabriel shook his head. "You actually gave me a chance Sam. It's not your fault that she manipulated you like that." </p><p>"You know that's not true. It definitely is." Sam told him. <br/>
"Dude, none of this is your fault, and I'll fight you on that." He said, pointing his finger at Sam and earning another chuckle. "Charlie has been telling me to be careful of Ruby since the start." He said. "And if I'm honest, I had no clue how vindictive she could be, despite being warned." <br/>
Sam nodded as he silently continued his breakfast. Gabriel could still see a lot of guilt in his eyes. "So, I'm guessing you are not going to continue working at Morningstar Inc. anymore?" Gabriel asked, now that his mind train of thought had been switched to work.  </p><p>Sam shrugged. "I have my yearly evaluation with Lucifer in three months. I'm pretty sure I'll get a shitty review so he can kick me out. But until then, he has no legal standing to fire me, so I'm staying until I find something better. I'm not going to let them scare me away." He told Gabriel, who couldn't help but smile. It had to be hell to work together with an ex and under the guy she used to cheat on Sam, but it showed his fighting spirit that he would still stay.<br/>
"Besides," Sam continued. "I'm sure there are other firms looking to hire. Hopefully I can hop straight over before I even get a review." <br/>
There was something about the way Sam looked at Gabriel, a sort of concern.<br/>
"I'm sure there are better jobs in IT as well, with your skills and all..." <br/>
Gabriel squinted at him. "I mean, probably... I'm not planning on leaving if I'm honest. I mean, what they did was a dick move to say the least, but I'm just an IT guy. I don't need to deal with Lucifer of Ruby on a daily basis, but I do like working with Charlie and Balth, although you can never tell him that.."<br/>
<br/>
Sam looked uncomfortable, not even reacting to the joke. He avoided Gabriel's eyes. "Ruby is the one that has to sign everyone's employee evaluation... Including yours. Anything Charlie says can just be overwritten by her." He reminded Gabriel. "So you can't be sure you'll have a job for much longer..."  <br/>
"Why would she do that... I've seen her maybe three, four times..." <br/>
"Like I said, she's the jealous type." He said again, eyes still very firmly fixed on his half eaten plate of scrambled eggs. "And everything kind of came to a head  when you and I started working on the project." </p><p>Gabriel looked at Sam incredulous. He liked the guy, a lot... But he hadn't expected that to cost his job security, nor his chance to work with friends. <br/>
"I'm not the one that made you look through her phone." He reminded Sam. "And I'm not the one that made her cheat." His voice grew a bit harsher. He didn't want to blame Sam, but it did suck. Especially after he finally started enjoying his job. He finally started to edge away from the side lines, only to have it all crash down on top of him.   <br/>
Sam's brow furrowed as he looked at Gabriel with soft eyes. "I know, it's just... I know she has this vindictive streak and she's going to assume things. She probably expected me to work with Charlie, no use getting jealous at a lesbian..." Sam rolled his eyes.<br/>
"So, it's because I'm gay?" He asked, suddenly realizing that might actually be it. "What, is she afraid I'm going to turn you or something?" He laughed at how rdiculous the whole thing sounded. <br/>
Sam bit his lip. "Well, not turn me..."<br/>
Gabriel wasn't sure if Sam looked amused or confused at the idea.<br/>
"You'd be a bit too late for that... I'm bi. actually." Sam explained. "It's uh... It's not something I throw around. I mean, you know how people are... And since I was dating a woman, it wasn't something anyone needed to know. She didn't even know until about a year ago. She was looking through my phone and a notification popped up. It was a reminder of some picture I took with my ex 6 years ago." <br/>
Gabriel hadn't even considered that as a possibility. A lot of things started to make sence now that he was looking back. <br/>
"So just cause we both like guys she thinks we're together?" Gabriel clarified.<br/>
Sam nodded, he was still visibly uncomfortable talking about it.  "That's how it's been going so far at least... Before she knew I liked guys, she asked me not to hang out with any girls alone. And you know, I was just cheated on... I didn't want her to even think that I was doing that so I agreed. After she found out about my ex, she's was uncomfortable with me hanging out with any of my friends without her there... They didn't even have to be gay, I was the problem. So I'm sure with you, she had her mind made up the moment she found out you liked men."</p><p>Gabriel tried not to look too shocked. It was clear that the relationship hadn't been a healthy one before, but the idea of making Sam lose all his friends, using his bisexuality against him as well...<br/>
Gabriel gave Sam a sorry smile. "So, you think that's the story they'll be going with to fire me, an office affair..?"<br/>
Sam nodded. "Maybe. But honestly, she can use pretty much any excuse she wants..." Sam answered. "I'm sorry to drag you into all this. I just, I really enjoyed working together... I didn'tknow what I would be putting you through. And When I found out, I had no one else to turn too, and you are the only person I felt comfortable with in a long time." <br/>
<br/>
Beanie had apparently finished eating and was ready for some attention again. She came over to rub her head against Sam's leg, before jumping up on his lap again. Sam petted her, throwing her that caring smile that Gabriel was starting to love.<br/>
<br/>
Gabriel smiled back at Sam when he looked up. "So, If I understand correctly, I should probably go look for a new job as well." He asked with a sigh. He had finally found a place where he felt like he belonged. Maybe not in the business as a whole, but within his team, he had a place. </p><p>Sam scratched the back of his head. "I mean... If they try anything, you could probably sue them, but it's not going to be a fun environment if they are forced to keep you on. But the application you've built... Maybe you can do something with that. Cyber security is a big deal. Maybe you can sell the plans or something, and look for a company that appreciates you. Or create a start up, who knows."</p><p>Gabriel considered his options. "I do miss being able to built applications and stuff like that. Maybe I can look for something in that field... I'll miss the Cave though..." He said, the corners of his lips pulling up slightly. <br/>
Sam nodded. "I'm still sorry I dragged you into all this. I probably shouldn't have come here in the first place. If anything, I've only made it worse for you."<br/>
"Stop apologizing, will you.  I'm glad you dragged me into this." Gabriel assured the other. <br/>
"Why?"<br/>
"Cause I was so used to being treated like crap... I didn't even notice it anymore. You made me realize I don't have to settle for that." <br/>
Sam smiled softly. "Well you shouldn't. You bring a lot of value as an employee with all your skills. And you make quite the friend." <br/>
<br/>
Gabriel smiled at that, although he felt a bit uncomfortable with how the topic had switched to him. He instead asked Sam what the plan was for today.<br/>
Sam shrugged. "I need to get some stuff in order firsts. I don't want to barge back into the appartment and demand that she leaves. I have the right to do that, but I don't think she'd listen. Besides, I'm not sure I want to be alone there right now." He told him. "I need to get all the legal stuff in order if she refuses to leave when I'm ready to go back, I think I'll do that in the moring. I have most of the nessesary files on my computer already."<br/>
"Is it just me or have you thought about this a lot before?" Gabriel asked, lifting an eyebrow. <br/>
Sam sighed. "I kind of knew, in the back of my mind that it wasn't right, you know... So I've looked over what I would need." He admitted. "I told myself it wasn't for me, but I knew." </p><p>Gabriel nodded. "Yeah I get that. How about you start on whatever you need to do? I have to get ready anyway. Maybe when you're finished we can watch a few movies, get your mind off it." He suggested.<br/>
Sam smiled at that. "That would be nice. You're sure it's no problem for me to hang out a little longer?" He asked. Gabriel shook his head. "I think Beanie would be mad if you left now." He said, petting the cat that was still comfortable on Sam's lap, before getting up to get showered and dressed. </p><p>When Gabriel got out of the shower, Sam was already hard at work. Gabriel wasn't sure what he was doing exactly, but he was sure he wouldn't understand, even if Sam showed him.<br/>
"Everything okay, need anything?" He asked.<br/>
"No, I just need to get this done, so I'm done with it." <br/>
"I think I'll hit the stores for some snacks during the movie, anything I can bring you?" <br/>
Sam looked at him. "You don't mind me being alone in your house when you go shopping?" <br/>
Gabriel laughed. "What would you do, steal my second hand couch to put in your massive apartment. I'm sure you're fine." He assured Sam. </p><p>Gabriel didn't miss how much Sam's eyes lit up at that. He wasn't sure what caused it, but he knew Sam hadn't really received any kind of trust during his relationship. "So anything tickle your fancy?"<br/>
"Anything is fine."<br/>
"You are kind of a health-freak right?" Gabriel asked him with a grin.<br/>
Sam shrugged. "I don't want to be a bother."<br/>
"It's fine, but I am taking that as a yes."<br/>
"I mean. I do try to pick what I eat with some consideration."<br/>
"So yes." Gabriel smirked.<br/>
"Fine yes." Sam smiled as he admitted it. "I'm a bt of a health-freak."<br/>
"See everyone has a downside, Samster." He teased. "I think I just found yours."</p><p> </p><p>When Gabriel returned from the grocery store, he was carrying two grocery bags full of chips, dips, pretzels, popcorn, ice-cream and some dippable vegetables for Sam.</p><p>Sam grinned at the volume of their snacks, but offered some help with unloading the groceries. "You really went all out, didn't you?" He asked as he put the soda in the fridge.<br/>
"I'm an all out kinda guy, besides nothing helps you through a break up more than carbs." He assured Sam.<br/>
Sam smirked. "Is that so?" There was a glint in Sam's eye that Gabriel decided he liked a lot.<br/>
"It works for me." Gabriel shrugged. "I got you some green stuff too, but you know what you really need." He pulled the tub of ice-cream to show Sam.</p><p>Gabriel couldn't help but realize him home had never felt this homelly before. Unpacking groceries while making jokes. The cats running around them. He could get used to this. Of course, it would end pretty quickly.<br/>
After all, Sam would most likely want to go to a hotel or back to his own appartment, rather than spend his time on the couch of a guy he knew for less than a month, even if it felt like they had know each other for a lot longer.</p><p>When all the groceries were stored, Gabriel moved down to pet Mittens, who was begging for attention. "Yeah, you saw we had food right, you want some too?" He asked in a high pitched voice.<br/>
The cat meowed in response, earning a chuckle from Sam. "Quite a life you have, you know."<br/>
"I know it's not as exciting as a luxury apartment, but it's enough for me."<br/>
Sam crouched down to pet Mittens as well and suddenly Beanie invaded the space, demanding attention from Sam. "I like this. It's nice. I always wanted a pet."<br/>
"Why don't you get one?"<br/>
"I'm to busy with work, I have days of 12 hours, I can't leave any pet alone for that long, multiple days in a row and weekends when the job demands it." He said, running his finger over Beanies head.<br/>
Gabriel smiled as he took Mittens in his arms. "Well, now you have the chance to look for a pet friendly office." Gabriel offered. "Maybe an office cat or dog?"<br/>
Sam chuckled. "That's a good way of staying positive."<br/>
"Why not? There are a lot of them, pretty sure it's one of those new hypes that flew over from silicon valley. And why not focus on the staying happy, life's a lot more fun that way."<br/>
Gabriel wasn't sure why Sam was suddenly looking up at him so intently as he answered "I guess it is." with a big smile.<br/>
Gabriel smiled back at Sam. "Let's give these monsters their snacks. Are you done with your work or do you need some more time before we start our movie night."<br/>
Sam shook his head. "Everything's in place so far.When I'm ready to go back, I'll be able to get the apartment back fully."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Until then, you have a place on this couch for as long as you want."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry no update for 06-01-2021, It didn't come out the way I wanted, so it's going to take an extra week<br/>Sorry again!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Gabriel and Sam got ready for work that monday, Sam asked him if he would mind getting out of the car early. Maybe about a block away from the company-parking lot. He seemed to be ashamed to ask it, but Gabriel was pretty okay with not being accused of sleeping with the boss. Even though there was nothing going on between them, he knew how people worked. If word got out that Sam and Ruby broke up and suddenly started Sam showing up every morning with the same guy he left with that night, it wouldn't be a leap to assume there was something more going on between them. </p><p>A part of Gabriel kind of hoped Ruby would find out they were sneaking around somehow. Just because he wanted to see her face as she imagined what it could mean, hopefully coming to all the wrong conclusions. He wouldn't do anything to make that happen, because it would certainly have consequences in regards to his job security until his preformance review, but there was nothing wrong with a little revenge fantasy to entertain him on his short walk from Sam's car to the office.</p><p>Gabriel knew he still had at least one person to answer to about his weekend with Sam, and she didn't need to see them arrive together to know who Gabriel spend his weekend with. As soon as Gabriel opened the door to The Cave, one look at Charlie was enough to know she was eager for answers.<br/>
"Hey... So how was your weekend?" She asked, a grin plastered on her face as she lifted her eyebrow. "How's your friend doing?" <br/>
Gabriel rolled his eyes with an amused smile, shaking his head as he made his way over to his desk in silence. He could feel her eyes following him, grinning at her curiosity.</p><p>"He seems to better." He answered after sitting down. </p><p>Charlies eyes were still trained on him, but the comment caused a soft smile that betrayed that she had been at least a bit worried as well. "You know you don't haveto tell me, but is it who I think?" The words sounded more careful than he was used to. There was no denying she was right, but it didn't feel right to just say it and share Sam's problems with someone, even if that someone was as trustworthy and kind as<br/>
Charlie. <br/>
He turned to look at her, and although it was clear she was curious, or maybe just worried, he knew she would understand. "Char... I'm not going to say it." <br/>
"You don't have too." She told him again, al though it was pretty clear at this point who they were talking about. "I do want you to be careful, Gabe. I mean it. You don't want to lose your job over something like this." <br/>
Gabriel looked at the floor between them before turning his desk chair to look at his computer instead. He considered telling Charlie what Sam told him. How Ruby would most likely override the performance review and kick him out in a few months. Instead he let the silence linger until she turned away as well.</p><p>"You know me, I'll always land on my feet." He muttered to give her and himself some words of comfort, before he turned on his computer to start the day. He was grateful she didn't bring it up again, even if it never really left his mind. <br/>
He was glad the rest of the day went by pretty uneventful. He was still grateful that Balth took all of Lucifer's tickets, because Gabriel wasn't sure he could face him after what Sam had told him. Charlie didn't say a thing when all of a sudden seven tickets flew in from Ruby, complaining about the tiny features in certain applications or programs. As soon as Gabriel got himself ready to open the tickets, Charlie had already assigned them to herself. </p><p>When Charlie called Ruby to deal with the tickets, Gabriel could hear most of the conversation. It didn't seem to be pleasant in the slightest, but he expected that she just wanted to let out all her anger and frustration. After Charlie hung up, her face was blank. Balthazar went to get her a hot chocolate and Gabriel handed her some of the candy ration. When she was a bit more calm she told them about how horrible Ruby had been on the phone, letting it out before they went back to work. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel planned to go up to Sam's office at half past five, just like he had done almost every day for the past two weeks. It wouldn't raise suspicion, since no one knew there was no longer any reason for them to work on the project. <br/>
Just as Gabriel was packing up his stuff to go up, Sam walked into The Cave after a short knock. Gabriel was surprised to say the least, wondering why Sam hadn't waited for him in his office. <br/>
"I'm done with my work for the day, so I figured I could pick you up and we can continue on the project somewhere else. I'm going a bit crazy staring at the same fours walls for a whole day." He answered before Gabriel could even ask his question. </p><p>Balthazar huffed out a laugh, a sly grin on his lips. "I'm sure you two can 'work' in your office. Those walls are pretty thick, if your worried about that." <br/>
"I'm sure you've tested that out plenty." Gabriel answered back with a smirk. <br/>
Sam chuckled at the banter. He did look a bit awkward, standing in the doorframe, turning around to see if no one was walking by to catch the conversation and get the wrong idea. Charlie seemed to take pity on him. "How about we don't discuss your adventures in front of a guest. You can come in, you know. Maybe close the door before the whole office learns about Balthazar's hobbies." <br/>
Balthazar gave Charlie an overdramatic angry stare before grinning again, but he didn't comment any further. Charlie gave him a grateful smile before turning to Sam, asking about some management report to wrap up the third quarter. Gabriel was amazed at how smoothly she glossed over the usual small talk while seemingly still making Sam feel welcome. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>As soon as Gabriel had packed up, the two of them went home. There was no need to meet up somewhere down the street. People knew they worked on a project in the evenings after all so it wasn't suspicious that they got into the same car. </p><p>Gabriel waited to ask Sam about his day until they were pulling out of the parkinglot, so no one might accidentally hear the answer. Sam stayed silent for a little bit, as if he wasn't sure. </p><p>"It was mainly just weird." He admitted. "I have expected to hear something from her, but she hasn't even shown herself on my floor. Lunch was weird as well, since I discourage my team from working through their lunch, but it was the only I had for going down to the cafeteria and eat lunch alone." </p><p>"And she hasn't tried to get into contact  once?" Gabriel asked.</p><p>Sam shook his head. "I'm kind of glad she didn't." He admitted. </p><p> </p><p>The rest of the week was made up mostly of routine. Sam would drive them to work, letting him out at the same spot each day, they wouldn't see eachother for most of the day, but during lunch time, they'd chat on Skype, so Sam wasn't completely alone in his office. At the end of each day, Gabriel would go up to Sam's office to work on the project. They agreed that there would be talk if they went home to work on the project every night, so instead they hung out in Sam's office. Sam usually caught up with work as Gabriel kept working on the security program. Even though he already knew it wouldn't lead anywear, it would be weird if they had nothing to show for those last two weeks of work, and he was getting payed the extra hours still. </p><p> </p><p>Everything was working out better than expected and by Friday Gabriel reminded himself that they had made it through the week without any real hiccups. All that was left was going up to Sam's office one more time, but apparently that was when their luck ran out. </p><p>Gabriel called the elevator to his floor to go up to Sam. When the doors opened, his heart sank. </p><p>Ruby looked him straight in the eye, like she'd been expecting him. She was carrying a large box, but her outfit pulled all focus away from that. It was barely on the border of acceptable office attire, and not in the way Gabriel's casual hoodies were. </p><p>She was wearing a very tight low cut red top with a black blazer and a short tight black skirt with a split. She eyed Gabriel coldly, a challenging eyebrow shooting up, daring him to get into the elevator with her. Like a champion would challenge people into a cage to fight.</p><p>Gabriel almost froze for a moment, caught of guard. He could go back with some lame excuse, but he didn't want to let her feel like she won. </p><p>He decided to step in, not giving Ruby the enjoyment of thinking he was scared of her. He might have avoided anything to do with management at first, but now that he was in the thick of it anyway, he wasn't backing down. Ruby looked at him, almost impressed, as the doors closed. "So, you're going up to see <em>my</em> Sam?" <br/>
"I'm going up to see Sam." Gabriel corrected, looking straight ahead. "Are you going up to see Lucifer?" A small smile played on his lips, although he knew he was walking a dangerous road. <br/>
"Don't get clever with me, Gabriel. You know you are just as much to blame as I am." <br/>
That made him angry. "As wrong as you are about what you think going on, even you know that's bullshit." <br/>
"You have no right to judge me." She said, her words like venom. "If Sam made me happy, like he should have, this wouldn't have happened." <br/>
"Your actions are your own. No one makes you do anything, it's all you." <br/>
<br/>
Before she could retort, the doors opened on the fourth floor, and Gabriel realized he hadn't pushed the button. Which meant...</p><p>He wanted to curse as Ruby hurried out before him, probably trying to get Sam alone. He walked a bit quicker, trying to catch-up, but once they were at his office she turned to look at Gabriel. <br/>
"Let me talk to him first, that's the least you could give me. If he decides to still go with you, you'll have the whole night, right..? I just need a quick drop off."<br/>
Gabriel didn't say a word. He was sure Sam would send her away if he didn't want to see her. It wasn't his choice to make. He waited outside the office as Ruby went in, closing the door behind her.</p><p>It felt like he waited for hours, but when the door opened, the clock told him that only twenty minutes had passed since Ruby entered Sam's office. That was, however, more than enough time for Gabriel to replay the encounter several times over. It made him realize that no matter how it ended, there was no way Ruby would allow Gabriel to stay at the company. Sam had of course warned him about it, but seeing the hate in Ruby's eyes was what settled it. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Not long after the door opened, Ruby walked out, no longer holding the box. She glared at Gabriel, not even bothering to make a comment as she walked past him in long strides. Gabriel went into the office, unsure what to expect.<br/>
 <br/>
If he was being honest, he was quite surprised Sam wasn't crying when he walked in. He had seen the man cry over Ruby multiple times and he knew there were more tears left still. Sam looked more angry than sad however. A fist clutching his pen tightly enough to turn his knuckles white. He looked up at the sound of Gabriel closing the office door to give them some privacy to talk.<br/>
"I'm guessing that wasn't great?" Gabriel asked with a small smile. </p><p>Sam let out a loud sigh. "No, that wasn't great." He agreed, his grip loosened a little as he shot Gabriel a forced smile. "She brought me a box of my stuff..." <br/>
"Why?" Gabriel asked confused as he looked at the now open box. From where he stood he could see a photo album with the text 'first year together' on it. <br/>
"I asked her the same thing. She said she isn't planning on leaving our appartment any time soon." Sam huffed, his anger slowly transforming to annoyance. "So she brought this, incase I might need it if I moved in with my boyfriend instead." <br/>
Sam didn't look ashamed of the accusation Ruby made, then again, he had seen it coming before they even broke up.</p><p> <br/>
"If her face was anything to go by, she didn't like your answer to that." Gabriel noted. "What did you say?" <br/>
Then Sam's face changed, as if he only just remembered his own side of the conversation. His cheeks turned red as he got quiet. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Gabriel smirked, still thinking about the way Ruby looked at him when she left. "You didn't deny it, did you?" He asked, unable to keep the chuckle out of his voice. <br/>
"I just really wanted to piss her off." He admitted. He looked at Gabriel again. A small smirk appeared on Sam's lips when he saw how funny Gabriel thought that was. "I might have told her you made me happier in a weekend than she could over five years." He chuckled and Gabriel couldn't help but laugh along.</p><p>"I can only imagine what she imagined at that..."<br/>
Sam shrugged. "She didn't even ask, she just stormed out." He grinned. It was so good to see Sam smiling and joking again, and it seemed to come easy. </p><p>There was something he was still curious about though. "What did she mean by not moving out. Isn't the apartment yours?" Gabriel asked as he thought about what Sam had said. Sam bit his lip. </p><p>"Yeah... About that." He looked up at Gabriel again, not quite meeting his eyes. "I'm probably going to need to find a hotel if I don't want to overstay my welcome." The question behind the words was clear, but Sam didn't dare to ask. Gabriel smiled as he rolled his eyes. "If you keep talking like that, I might even believe you don't actually prefer to stay with me. But I'm not an idiot..." He added, giving Sam a knowing look. "Once again, you're free to stay however long you need. We might have to fix you up with a bed though. So what happened with your apartment?" </p><p>Sam smiled at him, the guilt in his eyes was clear, but Gabriel meant it. He didn't mind housing the other for a bit longer. In fact, it was sort of nice to have someone around. <br/>
"She told me she's not leaving. She even said that if I wanted, I could just move back in with her. We'd ignore everything and just continue where we left off. Or even, I could move back there without getting back together... But we'd keep up appearences." </p><p>"Are you considering it?" </p><p>"I'd be lying if I said it didn't sound nice, the opportunity of going back to a life that seems normal and familiar... To work it out and get back together instead of everything turning into crap again. But I don't think I can do that to myself, settle for safe but unhappy."</p><p>"So what's your plan?" Gabriel asked, glad to hear Sam didn't buy into the lie of happily ever after. "I mean, it's nice that she doesn't want to move out, but it's your apartment. There's no way she can just take that from you."<br/>
"She basically told me to file a lawsuit if I wanted to evict her, then pointed out a small bit of case law I missed in my earlier research. There's precedence in the state that, in the event of a break up, both partners should have ample time to find new housing before an eviction notice can be signed. There is no saying whether or not that it will hold up, but I'm going to look into that before I do anything else. I don't think it's much use to file a case I know I'm not going to win, so I think I'll send her official notice to move out, and if she doesn't within a month, I'll atleast have prove of time for my case. But I can't expect you to house me for a full month." </p><p>"So you're going to spend a fuck ton of money on a hotel room for a full month... I know you're rich, but that's ridiculous." Gabriel told him. </p><p>"You really don't mind me staying at your place for that long." Sam asked, lifting an eyebrow. "What if you have a guy over or something. Good luck explaining that." <br/>
Gabriel couldn't help but laugh. "Even if my life would be as interesting as you seem to think it is, he'd have to deal with it. I'm not having you pay thousands of dollars to stay somewhere by yourself, when you don't really want to be alone, just to have a few one night stands." He grinned, "And even if that happened to be my plan, I'll just say you're my roommate and if we get an extra bed, there's more than enough space for you in my spare bedroom." </p><p>Sam looked at him with the same intense stare Gabriel had now received several times. But this time there was something else behind those eyes. Something Gabriel couldn't place. </p><p>"You really don't mind?" Sam asked again after a short silence. "What do you want in return? Next to rent and grocery money of course..."<br/>
The question had a double meaning that was hard to ignore. Gabriel wondered if it wasn't too shady to invite Sam in to stay with him for a full month. There was no reason for Sam not to expect some quid-pro-quo, and he had already showed that he knew Gabriel thought he was attractive. </p><p>Gabriel could feel the tension grow as he tried to to think of a response that didn't make him seem sketchy, or at least not more sketchy without making it out to be a big deal. In the end he just sighed. "Is it really that hard to believe I'm just a nice person, sometimes?" </p><p> </p><p>Sam dropped his gaze. "Kinda, yeah." he admitted.<br/>
Gabriel's stomach dropped, of course it was hard to believe some people were just nice after years of manipulation and being told you can't have friends becasue you can't trust them. Gabriel decided to go for another angle. </p><p>"What would you expect of me if there roles were reversed?" He asked, lifting an eyebrow. </p><p>"Nothing." he admitted. <br/>
"Right, well I expect almost nothing... I do expect you to be my personal Uber from and to work." Gabriel teased to lighten the mood up again. </p><p>Luckily Sam could laugh at that. "Or to IKEA if you're okay with looking for a bed today." He countered.<br/>
Gabriel nodded, matching Sam's smile. "Sounds good. You ready to go?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p class="">The trip to IKEA seemed to be exactly what Sam needed to get his mind off of the conversation with Ruby. Sam knew a few colleagues that went to IKEA for a quick bite after work. So they decided to drive to the IKEA in the next town over to avoid running into people that might have questions about the two of them looking for a bed together. </p><p class="">Sam had been fairly quiet during the car ride over, probably trying the process conversation. Entering the furniture store, however, seemed to make him realize that with everything he had lost, he had gained freedom instead.  As they roamed the store, Sam pointed out all the things he was going to put in his apartment once he got to decorate it on his own.</p><p>Sam seemed to like a more rustic style that Gabriel had expected, especially with all the modern furniture in his apartment currently. Then again, that was probably mostly Ruby as well. Gabriel was amazed by how much of Sam's life she had dictated. In the short week since they broke up, he had changed a lot already. He had grown a lot more comfortable in expressing his honest opinion instead of just going along with what was suggested. </p><p>Even though they knew what bed they wanted to get: the cheapest one with a cheap mattress to match, they still strolled through the IKEA like they were just browsing. There was no use in spending tons of money for a temporary place to sleep, but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy the store. Gabriel was grateful that Sam had suggested to go to IKEA in the next town over so they didn't have to constantly watch their backs to make sure they weren't spotted.</p><p>They decided to eat in the IKEA restaurant before going home. Gabriel loved swedish meatballs and Sam apparently just liked eating out, even if it wasn't a fancy restaurant. Gabriel joked about Sam being a cheap first date and Sam promised he'd take him out somewhere nice when everything was over. </p><p>When they got to the restaurant, Sam suddenly stopped in his tracks, all color draining from his face. Gabriel followed Sam's line of sight, instantly understanding Sam's reaction. Apparently Sam and Gabriel weren't the only ones that had figured out the privacy the location afforded them. </p><p>Lucifer was sitting alone at one of the tables. There was another plate across from his and the other chair was pulled back. <br/>
Their CEO didn't really strike Gabriel like the sort of guy that went to IKEA to eat and neither did Ruby, but maybe that was just the reason they chose this place to sneak around.<br/>
Lucifer looked less intimidating like this. He wasn't wearing his usual suit and tie, but a casual brown jacket and plain tshirt. If Sam hadn't stopped when he spotted him, Gabriel might not have noticed Lucifer at all.  </p><p>He probably would have noticed the person making his way over to that table carrying extra sauce packages. How couldn't he, he spent eight hours a day at a desk across from him. </p><p>He almost felt like going up to Balthazar and asking him what on earth was going on, but he was too shocked to do anything like that. Instead he watched the other steal a fry from Lucifer's plate, taking a bite and feeding the rest of it to their boss. </p><p>Despite the clear prove in front of him, he still couldn't believe Balthazar and Lucifer were actually... Doing whatever they were. They seemed to be pretty casual together. Lucifer laughed at some joke Balthazar made before a dirty smirk painted his face and he leaned in to whisper something. </p><p>Balthazar was pretty open about sleeping around, and very discreet about with whom, but Gabriel had never seen this coming. He was glad the two were too caught up in each other to see Sam and Gabriel staring, but he didn't want to test their luck any longer. </p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="">When he checked on Sam, the other looked as horrified as Gabriel felt. He was nailed to the ground, staring at the odd couple. Gabriel put a hand on Sam's lower back to guide him away past the restaurant entrance and into the elevator that lead to the exit. As they wordlessly waited for the elevator to arrive, Gabriel had half a mind to go back and make himself known. He had been to shocked when he first saw them, but now he wanted to walk right up there and wait until Balthazar noticed him. Partly just to stir shit up and see how they reacted, partly to get back at Balth for the endless teasing Gabriel had to endure every time Sam's name was mentioned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="">Sam seemed to notice his impulse and grabbed Gabriel's wrist as soon as he turned around to make his way back over to the restaurant. Gabriel looked at Sam confused. "Oh come on, why can't I mess with their date?" he asked in a hushed tone. "Balth wouldn't have let it slide if he had seen us here first." </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="">"True." Sam admitted. "But you don't want to anger Lucifer. He won't be as forgiving, and he's still the boss." Gabriel hated that, the idea that he had to act a certain way to that asshole, just because his dad left him a company. Sam pulled on Gabriel's wrist softly to get him into the elevator instead of letting him act on his worse impulse. Once the doors closed, Sam's fingers lingered, his thumb slowly caressing Gabriel's skin. </span>
</p><p>When the doors opened again Sam pulled his hand back. Gabriel smiled up at him to let him know it was okay and Sam smiled backed, looking awkward as he realized what he had done. Gabriel wasn't sure what to make of it exactly, and he sure as hell wasn't going to ask. Sam most likely just needed to hold onto something real after witnessing something that seemed like pure fiction. </p><p> </p><p>The moment vanished quick when they stopped on the ground floor. Sam was in full control as he made his way through the warehouse to where their bed layed packaged. Gabriel followed along, not even bothering to see where they were going. He didn't need to, since Sam found the right section without a problem. Gabriel helped put the package in their cart as Sam went off looking for the mattress. </p><p>Once Sam had collected everything, they payed and got out. They had been largely silent since they witnessed fever dream of Lucifer and Balthazar casually flirting over a plate of fries and meatballs. Now that they were outside, Sam looked at Gabriel again. "So, are you going to tell Balthazar we saw him?"</p><p>Gabriel considered it. "Probably... I mean, I can't just let this slide, now can I?" He grinned. "Besides, I've never been able to catch him with anyone. I almost thought he was bluffing with all those wild stories and unnamed guys..."<br/>
Sam laughed along, although the shock was still evident in his face. </p><p>Gabriel gave him a smile, it had to be nice to see Ruby get screwed over like that, but Sam didn't seem that excited by it. Gabriel slowly realized why it was probably a good thing that Sam wasn't eager to hold this over Ruby's head. "Hey Sam..." He started, in a careful tone. "I know this would be a good burn on Ruby... To tell her Lucifer is seeing guys behind her back. But maybe, since she is the sort of person that is going to fire me for just being friends with you... Don't tell her about Balth?" He wanted Sam to be able to throw that back in Ruby's face, but he didn't want Balth to get fired as well. He also didn't want Charlie to end up alone in that terrible company. </p><p>"I think that's smart." He agreed with a soft smile "She'd go ballistic if she'd ever find out." He didn't seem upset that he didn't get to hurt his ex with information about her new lover. Gabriel wasn't sure if that meant he wasn't over her, or it just meant he was a better person than most people were. Either way, it was a good thing for Balthazar. </p><p> </p><p>Instead of Swedish meatballs, they stopped for some take out on the way home. As soon as they got back they carried the IKEA box up to the spare room Gabriel mainly used for storage until now. They sat down on the floor cross legged, enjoying their take-out while Sam looked over the instructions. Gabriel didn't join him in looking through those. Instead he tried to figure out the construction based on the markings of the assembly pieces themselves. </p><p>It was clear Sam had a particular skill for understanding and following instructions. He went over them once, before starting at the top. He laughed as he saw how Gabriel had already pieced together what Sam informed him were step 5, 6 and 9 of the manual. Gabriel smirked. He only ever used the instructions for parts he couldn't piece together himself. Usually that worked out well, but there were occasions where he had built most of the piece, before finding out he missed something very essencial at the beginning and he had to take everything apart again. </p><p>They got into a good rhythm together, with Sam reading out what he needed and Gabriel bringing it over and putting it in the right place so it could be connected. They had always worked well together, from day one of working on the project. Gabriel hoped he'd get to work with someone he clicked with like that on his next job. Sam had inspired him to do more than he had to do, and although it had probably cost him his job, Gabriel didn't regret speaking out for the project. He wanted to look for a job where he could do something like that again. </p><p>Apparently he was staring, since Sam laughed before commenting. "Not that I don't appreciate the compliment, but I need a little more help than just you looking at me. Can you hand me a few wooden pins?"</p><p>Gabriel smirked as he dug them up from between the cardboard. "Let me have my fun looking at you." He countered, pushing his way in between Sam and the piece of wood he was holding up to push the wooden pins into it.<br/>
He wasn't sure if they were just generally teasing each other or if they were actually flirting, but he knew he shouldn't make a move on Sam. Not while Sam was still recovering from a manipulating ex and not while he was living at his house to recover from that. Gabriel didn't want to give any impression that he wanted something in return, but there was no harm in flirting if Sam started it. <br/>
"Since we're on the topic of me staring at you... You made Ruby think we were dating, right?" He asked, feeling a bit awkward as he mentioned it. The teasing was one thing, but it did make him think of the consequences of that statement. "Are inappropriate relationships at work something HR can fire us for, because I'm pretty sure that's something she'd use."</p><p>He could see the blood drain from Sam's face again as the other realized what he had done. "Shit..." </p><p>Gabriel sighed, that wasn't the reaction he had hoped for. "How long do you think it'll take before she kicks both of us out?" </p><p>"If we're lucky, she'll use it as a mark on the performance reviews... If we aren't, I'm guessing two weeks at the most." He stayed silent for a little bit, unmoving as he held the headboard up still. "I'll call her." He decided after a brief silence, clearly not looking forward to it. </p><p>Gabriel sighed. He didn't want to have to leave any quicker than he had already anticipated. On the other hand, he was doomed anyway, what difference would a few days make. He didn't think a call from Sam would be enough for Ruby to believe they weren't dating anyway. And if anything, Sam calling for Gabriel's job would only get her more angry. <br/>
"It's fine, whether I'm thrown out now or in a few months time... It's not going to make much of a difference, is it?" He shrugged, just hoping that Ruby wouldn't take it out on the whole IT department.</p><p> "How about this." Gabriel offered. "Since I'm helping you built this bed, you can help me build my resume. I never know what to put on that thing..." He admitted. </p><p>Sam smiled a little, although he still looked sorry. "Sure." He said softly. </p><p>"I was thinking, since Morningstar Inc. isn't going to use the program I built, why not sell the idea. I'm pretty sure it would look good on my resume and maybe, if it goes well, I can built and sell programs as a side hustle." </p><p>Sam bit his lip. "You can't sell something you made for a company while working there. It's their intellectual property now, not yours." </p><p>"What, how is it their property, I built the whole thing." Gabriel asked as he screwed the headboard it place tightly. </p><p>Sam nodded as he took the screwdriver from Gabriels hand. "In their time, on their computer." Sam countered, his voice soft, as if to calm Gabriel. "But I'm sure you can get a good job where you can use those talents.  I know a few people, maybe I can introduce you to some executives or something." </p><p>Gabriel barely registered the offer, too focussed on the opportunity he saw. "What if I did it all on my own computer, and I didn't file the extra hours, so it would technically be my time..." Gabriel asked. </p><p><br/>
Sam frowned. "Well I guess they can't say it's copyrighted for them... It's still their idea. No it isn't." He corrected himself. " You initiated the whole thing, right?"</p><p>Gabriel nodded as a smile started to form on his lips. "So, you think I could own the rights?" </p><p>Sam looked impressed. "Yeah actually, probably... I'll look into it. So you're planning to sell the idea?"<br/>
Gabriel shrugged. "Maybe, it would look good on my resume I suspect." </p><p>Sam nodded in agreement. "Or you could start a business..." He said. Sam tried to be casual about the idea, but Gabriel could feel Sam's eyes study him with intent. "Like I said, I know some people. A lot of businesses need better security for their websites." </p><p>Gabriel looked Sam over, wondering if he had gone crazy. "I'm just an IT guy. I can't run a business, that takes... I don't know... Skill." </p><p>Sam smiled a crooked smile. "You underestimate yourself, Gabe." Sam said. "You've got charm, you're an easy talker and you're smart. Plus, you seem to be able to read people pretty well. Those are great qualities for running a business." </p><p>Gabriel could almost feel himself blush as Sam listed his qualities. "I don't know..." Gabriel said softly.<br/>
"Besides," Sam added. "It would mean you could work a lot more on projects like the security program. I mean. I know you had fun working on it." The other insisted. "More fun than you had when fixing font types in Word for the twentieth time that day."<br/>
Gabriel smiled. "Of course I had fun. I got to work on coding again and there was a literal piece of man candy across from me the whole time." He grinned. Sam smiled, blushing a little, although he didn't seem to take the flirting all that seriously either. </p><p>"Yeah I had fun with that part of the project as well." He grinned, lifting an eyebrow. Gabriel couldn't believe how much more comfortable Sam had grown in a few days. He had always been pretty relaxed around Gabriel, but he was always something that seemed to be holding him back.</p><p>"My point was, I like working with you, and I like coding. I'm not sure I'd like running a business." Gabriel reiterated. "I mean, I know nothing about selling software and setting up contracts."</p><p>"You don't have to do it alone." Sam offered.</p><p>"Who's going to help me? You're going to be busy at your new job, and my other friends will still be working at Morningstar Inc." </p><p>Sam shrugged. "I don't have a new job yet, and starting a business is a job as well, if you'd want me to be a co-founder at least." </p><p>"You're being serious?" Gabriel asked as he stopped paying attention to the bed all together. "You'd want to start a business, with me?" </p><p>"Of course I'm serious. You deliver good work and you can charm the pants off of any potential customers. I'm good at the business side of things and I have some very useful connections. Think about it. We can do whatever we want with the business. We can even make the office pet friendly so Mittens, Socks and Beanie won't have to be alone all day. If you're up for it, we can start workshopping a name and corporate mission this weekend..." Sam had dropped all pretense of casualness. The more he talked, the more excited he grew. He was probably more excited than Gabriel had ever seen him be. But it wasn't just excitement behind those words, There was strategy and planning. Sam knew what he was talking about.</p><p>"This doesn't sound like a new idea. This sounds like you've been thinking about it before." Gabriel said, squinting at Sam.</p><p>"I've wanted to start my own business ever since college, but I never really had something to offer except legal consulting. That wasn't really what I wanted. And you know... Both my ex and Ruby... So both my exes" He corrected himself with a pained face. "They both thought it was more important for me to have job security." He explained. "I guess I liked my job to much to risk it over some dream. But if I'm going to look for something else, why not take that chance. I hope you'll at least think about it." </p><p>There was something in Sam's eyes that made Gabriel smile believe in tha idea as well. He could feel himself starting to stare again. Before the moment could grow too heavy, Gabriel smirked. "You just want to see me be uncomfortable in a suit around rich guys." He teased, glad to see Sam laugh.</p><p>"As funny as that sounds, that's only going to be a bonus." He grinned. "Besides, I'm pretty sure I've never seen you act uncomfortable around people for their status. Around Lucifer maybe, but that's more because he's an asshole." </p><p>"I'm not going to argue with that." </p><p>"Oh please don't." </p><p>They laughed as Sam focussed on the task at hand again, screwing in the last screw to secure the side to the headboard. </p><p>Gabriel followed his lead and continued and got back to it as well. He went over to collect the other side piece. "Don't worry." He answered as he put everything in polace. "I don't think anyone can change his opinion of me. Even if one of my friends is a lot more friendly with him than I thought." </p><p>Sam grinned and screwed in the other side as well. "Yeah, that's still weird..."</p><p>"It's gross." Gabriel corrected him. "I sit across from Balth. How am I going to look at him without thinking about the fact that he and Lucifer definitely bang whenever Lucifer needs something fixed." </p><p>"I guess he wasn't kidding when he talked about knowing how thick the walls are in the office." Sam laughed as he fixed the last piece in place as well. </p><p>"The worst thing is how obvious it was in hignside." Gabriel said as Sam shook the finnished bed to see if it was sturdy.</p><p>"How so?" He asked, helping Gabriel move over the matress.</p><p>"Well a few months we came up with this bet, loser had to help Lucifer for a full year." </p><p>"And whose idea was that?" </p><p>"Thinking back, it was definitely Balth." Gabriel grinned as they lowered the mattress in place. "But ever since then, Lucifer's computer has been acting up a lot..." </p><p>Sam just laughed at that. He put a hand on the matress to see if it was all good.</p><p> </p><p>Gabriel took the less cautious approach as he let himself fall back on the bed. "This is pretty nice actually." </p><p>"Scoot over." Sam told him. As soon as Gabriel did, Sam lay down next to him. It was pretty cramped on the small single bed, but Gabriel definitely didn't mind. His face was inches away from Sam like this. It felt intimate as Sam turned to face him. He could see Sam swallow hard as he studied Gabriel's face. " Yeah." He agreed. "Pretty nice." </p><p>Gabriel wasn't sure how long the moment lasted, before he was able to think rationally again and break the magic. He sat up, too abruptly perhaps and looked at the startled Sam. Gabriel hadn't meant to shock the other, but he needed to do something to stop himself from wanting more. From giving in and closing the space between their lips. He couldn't do that to Sam. </p><p>"Anyway..." He made an awkward attempt to climb out of the bed via the foot of the bed, but Sam got out quickly, letting him get up the usual way. "I was thinking, it's been a long day. A lot has happened... I'm pretty tired anyway... Would you mind if I call it an early night?" Gabriel knew he was rambling and Sam's embarrassed face communicated clearly that he wasn't buying the excuse to get out. </p><p>Gabriel didn't blame him, of course his emotions were a bit of a mess. Gabriel's flirting probably hadn't helped either. </p><p>Sam nodded. "Thanks for the help." He answered weakly before Gabriel left the room, closing the door behind him. He really wasn't sure what to make of all of it. Sam seemed interested, although that was most likely just because he was dealing with the break-up. Gabriel didn't think it was actually about him. The business proposal though, that didn't seem to be an inpulse desicion. Even if Gabriel wasn't sure, Sam seemed to believe in him. It felt nice knowing Sam trusted him and his skills enough to co found a business.  </p><p>As Gabriel lay in bed, way earlier than normal, Sam's words still played through his mind again. Sam was right about a few things. Gabriel was good at charming people most of the time, and he was proud of his coding skills. He still couldn't see himself running a company or reeling in customers. Although Gabriel liked attention in a way, he was comfortable away from the big spotlight. Then again, it might be okay to step into that spotlight if it was something he really cared about, like building his own applications. Or like Sam. </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I am very sorry, life has been pretty busy, so this week will be late, hopefully friday. After that, back to our scheduled programming ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Gabriel woke up on saturday, Sam was sitting on the couch in workout clothes. </p><p>"Oh good you're up." Sam said turning towards him as soon as Gabriel opened the door to the livingroom. </p><p>"Yeah, everything okay?" </p><p>Sam smiled at him as he got up. "No I just thought, I wanted to take up my usual morning run again." </p><p>Gabriel nodded. "Okay. I hope you weren't waiting for me to join, because I'm a terrible runner." He laughed, a bit unsure as to why Sam hadn't just gone out. </p><p>"No, I was waiting for you to get up so I wasn't going to get locked out." </p><p>Gabriel looked at him unsure, until he realized. "Oh, of course. I should have given you your own key weeks ago." Gabriel hurried over to the junk drawer in his kitchen to fish out a spare. </p><p>Sam followed him. "Are you sure?"</p><p>"Of course. It's your house to for now. I can't believe you've been here for all this time without having your own key." He pressed the key into Sam's hand, who tightened a fist around it, grazing Gabriel's thumb with the hold. It was shocking still, to see how much those little tokens of trust still meant to Sam. </p><p>"I guess we've been together pretty much all the time, so there wasn't any need for it." Sam smiled a lopsided smile, storing the key in some almost hidden zipper pocket of his work out pants. "Thank you."</p><p>"Don't mention it." Gabriel assured him softly. </p><p>When Sam was out on his run, Gabriel took the time to look up what he would need to start a business. He was sure Sam had figured it all out, but he wanted to look it over himself, just to feel like he was more part of the creation. </p><p> </p><p>After lunch Sam told Gabriel he was going to work on his email to Ruby, the one telling her to leave his apartment. The email itself might not have an impact, but he needed it as proof if it ever came to a trial. Gabriel agreed and told Sam to get to it, assuring him he didn't mind doing the dishes by himself. </p><p>After doing the washing up Gabriel went to the livingroom, watching the way Sam struggled with what to write. Gabriel had seen him work on notices before, he usually managed quite a few in the time they were supposed to work on the projects after hours. But this wasn't the same as a corporate email. This was personal. </p><p>After Sam had spend about fifteen minutes staring at the screen and changing the level of formality in the the salutation, Gabriel decided it was time to help Sam with a little motivation. He knew Sam's favorite smoothie recipes by now, and Sam looked like he could use a treat. The other didn't seem to notice Gabriel leaving the room. He only looked up when Gabriel put a glass next to him. </p><p>"You're an angel." Sam said as he looked into Gabriel's eyes. When he took a sip his smile widened. "Is this-?" </p><p>Gabriel interjected with a smirk. "two bananas, a bit of mango and some spinach and kale. Blended in cocoswater." He summed it up proudly. "I know what you like."  </p><p>"Can I marry you?" Sam laughed.</p><p>"Not if that's how your proposing." Gabriel lifted a playful eyebrow that had Sam smiling as well. </p><p>"I guess I'll have to work on my delivery." </p><p>Gabriel snickered. "You better." He concluded as he looked over the email. It still only contained one line. <br/><em>'Hello misses Ruby Kristy,'</em> </p><p>Gabriel put a hand on Sam's shoulder, feeling Sam's muscles relax under his touch. "Are you okay?" He asked, his voice a little softer than usual. </p><p> </p><p>Sam nodded. "It's just hard, it's like the last thing that keeps her in my life. Well, second to last." He admitted. "But at least I don't have to write a letter firing myself." </p><p>Gabriel put his other hand on Sam's other shoulder, slowly rubbing them to get Sam to relax. Gabriel could feel the tension leaving at a touch alone, but the massage helped Sam relax even more. "Can't you forget it's her for a minute. Act like you're writing this to one of my exes maybe?" Gabriel suggested. Sam considered the idea before he started typing. Gabriel continued the massage. He liked being close to Sam, and this was one of the only ways that didn't leave him stressed out and longing like last night had. </p><p>About ten minutes later Sam had a decent size email in front of him, laying out the terms. Ruby had to leave at the soonest possible moment after finding other accommodation with a maximum stay of one month. If she failed to do so, Sam would evict her. It was a smart move, that played in on the legal strategy Ruby intended to use. </p><p>When Sam was done, he leaned back, eyes closed from the emotional effort. With the short back of the desk chair, Sam's head pressed against Gabriel's chest. They stayed like that for a little, touching, but not quite. Gabriel was the first to break away again. </p><p>"Well, that worked better than expected." He muttered as he stepped back. </p><p>Sam opened his eyes to look at Gabriel. "Thanks for distracting me a little." </p><p>The tension was heavy, and Gabriel knew only one way to deal with an uncomfortable amount of tension. He smirked and winked. "Next time I'll do a striptease, see how distracted I can get you." </p><p>With Sam's chuckle, all previous tension left the room and Gabriel suggested to game a little as a reward for writing the thing.</p><p>They spend most of their weekend either watching TV or playing games. Sam didn't mention the business plan again, and Gabriel was more than okay with that. He still needed some time to figure out what it was that he wanted.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>That monday, Gabriel couldn't help but smirk when Balthazar asked him and Charlie about their weekend. Charlie talked about how she went to a convention and was now in the possession of the number of a really cute Codex cosplayer. They all loved stuff like that, so it was easy to fill about half an hour with stories about conventions and meet-ups. After discussing Charlie's weekend at length, she asked what the others had done.</p><p>Gabriel waited for Balthazar to go first. If Gabriel hadn't been sure already that Balthazar and Lucifer were sleeping together, Balthazar's description of the weekend sure would have confirmed it. He talked about how he had spend all of his time with some guy, spending most of their time in bed. Gabriel smirked wickedly. </p><p>"How about you, Gabe? Any cute guys we need to know about?" Charlie asked. </p><p>Balthazar grinned. "Or are you still pining for Sam?" </p><p>That was the bait Gabriel had been waiting for. His friends still didn't know Sam was living with him, although he was pretty sure they had their suspicions. Still, he was careful with how he phrased his answer. "No, although we did both have to go to IKEA on friday. So we decided to carpool."</p><p>"Convenient." Balthazar teased. </p><p>"Not really... I mean, we can't really go the one around the block, what if colleagues would see us." He stared at Balthazar who was visibly trying to look like he didn't care. Gabriel's smirk only grew. "So we went to the one in the next town over, much better to keep the rumours from spreading, don't you agree, Balth?" </p><p> Balthazar had to unclench his jaw before answering. "Yes. It might be best not to have rumors floating around in the first place." </p><p>"Agreed." Gabriel told him,adding a small nod to let his friend know his secret was safe. "But you know, Rumors are fun though." </p><p>Charlie sighed. "Okay you two are definitely being weird, and I don't think I want to know what it is about." She turned to face her computer and continue her job. Balthazar gave Gabriel another look before returning to his spot as well. Gabriel knew he was going to have fun with this. </p><p> </p><p>Later that day he got a chance to mess with Balthazar again. Lucifer shot in a ticket, something about his settings being messed up. Gabriel had never questioned the fact that their CEO managed to run a a succesful business easily, but also happened to break something on his computer nearly every day, sometimes more than once. He had also never noticed how quickly and eagerly Balthazar got up to deal with it, but he did now. A grin spread across Gabriel's face as he got up as well. "I was thinking, you always have to go up there. You shouldn't suffer because you lost a silly bet years ago. Maybe I can help this time..." He looked the annoyed Balthazar over with amusement. He lifted an eyebrow. "Unless you want to go yourself, of course..." </p><p>Balthazar grinned, meeting the challenge. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. "Oh by all means." He gestured to the door. Gabriel meant to provoke Balthazar, not to actually take the ticket. He looked a bit lost as he stared at the door. He couldn't back out now, even though he really didn't want to go.  </p><p>Charlie turned around, accompanying the motion with a loud sigh. "Unless you want to explain to Lucifer why his IT guy isn't up there, I think it's better Balth just goes up." She stated. </p><p>Balthazar pushed himself off the wall. "I guess I'm going to have to do the hard work myself." He said as he walked out. Gabriel chuckled as Charlie turned around to go back to what she was doing.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel had expected to face consequences for what Sam had said to Ruby pretty quickly, but there was no news from HR at first. He had even passed Ruby in the hall once. Instead of confronting Gabriel, she walked passed him with a glare. Sam had sat in on a management meeting on thuesday where she barely raised any issues with Sam's input, and ignore him apart from that.</p><p>Apparently she did have something cooking up. Around lunchtime on Wednesday, Charlie let out an excited "Yes!" from behind her desk. Balthazar and Gabriel were both at her side in no time. </p><p>"What?" </p><p>"Guys, I'm not sure who sacrificed a virgin or sold their soul to the devil, but a miracle has happened." She grinned, rolling away from the desk so the others could real the email that was open on her screen. </p><p>Gabriel could feel the blood drain from his face as he read what had made Charlie so excited. It was an email from Ruby, asking Charlie to read over the job offer for a new IT hire. At first glance, it did seem like amazing news. Charlie had been requesting an extra hire for months now. They had always been short staffed, and there was just too much work for two people. Charlie had to step in and work on tickets next to her managerial duties, just to keep up. And even then, they still fell behind sometimes. </p><p>The email, however didn't mention the team was going to be expanded exactly. It simply said that they would be looking for an extra hire and that Charlie had to plan some time to train them. The new person had to be fully operational within two months.  </p><p>Gabriel's heart broke. Charlie seemed so happy about the news, but Gabriel knew what it really meant. They wanted to hire someone to replace him that would be fully trained by the time Gabriel's annual review was planned. It wasn't like he had expected to stay after that, but every confirmation seemed like another nail in his coffin. Especially since Charlie really seemed proud to have finally gotten what she had asked for all the time. </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel broke free of his thoughts as he heard Balthazar laugh while patting his shoulder. "Oh cheer up, Gabriel. I know she was like your love rival or something, but even you can admit she's done a good thing here." </p><p>Gabriel sighed, looking at his friends. Balthazar looked amused more than anything. He probably thought Gabriel was only upset because Ruby was Sam's girlfriend or ex-girlfriend, depending on how much Lucifer had shared with him.  Charlie on the other hand looked worried. All the previous excitment had been swepted away. "Gabe, are you okay?"  </p><p>He couldn't keep them in the dark, this would affect them as well. "She'd firing me..." </p><p>"What?" Charlie asked, moving over to read through the email again. "What makes you think that?" </p><p>Gabriel doubted whether or not to tell his friends about why Ruby hated him so much. He hadn't told them because it was just between him and Sam. But now that it was having an impact at work, it was only fair to his team to share what was going on. At least in regards to him getting fired. "To keep it short, Sam and Ruby have broken up some time ago, and Ruby pretty much blames me for their break up." </p><p>"Why you?" Charlie asked before her eyes grew. "Has Sam cheated with you?" She asked, and Gabriel was sure this was one of the few times Charlie's surprise was genuine. She usually figured things out pretty fast. </p><p>Gabriel shook his head. "Nothing like that.. I mean, he wouldn't, and neither would I. But uh, apparently she thought there was more going on. It doesn't help that Sam has been living with me for almost two weeks now.</p><p>Apparently Charlie hadn't figured that one out either. Her eyes went wide. "You mean, he moved in with you? Why?" </p><p>Gabriel shrugged. "Ruby refuses to leave his apartment and he needed somewhere to stay." </p><p>"Isn't he like crazy rich, he can afford a hotel right?" </p><p>"I didn't want him to have to do that. And he likes living with me. I like living with him." Gabriel rolled his eyes as Charlie lifted an eyebrow in responce. "Don't give me that face, I'm just helping out a friend."</p><p>"And losing your job over it." Balthazar argued.</p><p>Gabriel sighed. "I know. I mean, it's not like I loved this job in the first place, but I am going to miss you guys." </p><p>Charlie shook her head. "If you want to stay, I'm going to fight for that. You are part of my team and you're not going to be replaced." She insisted. "I can at least clear it up first, maybe it's not even like that. I mean, I've been asking for the expansion for ages." </p><p>Charlie's face was telling, showing how little she herself believed this was just a sudden change of heart. </p><p>"Char..." Gabriel shook his head, before looking into her eyes. "Don't. You don't want to be hin her bad book." He hated being the bearer of bad news. He also knew he didn't want Charlie to weaken her position in the company even more trying to stop the inevitable. Ruby wasn't going to be stopped but at least now they were prepared. </p><p>Balthazar put a hand on Gabriel shoulder. The gesture surprised Gabriel. "I can, you know, see if we can't work something out." He said softly. He looked uncomfortable as he suggested it, and Gabriel wondered if Balthazar had ever used his relationship with Lucifer to his advantage before. Seeing their understaffed, pushed away, band of misfits team, he suspected Balthazar had been pretty clear about not wanting any favours like that. </p><p>The offer shocked Gabriel even more, if that was the case. He hadn't expected Balth to cross a line like that, not for him. Although he did consider Balthazar to be a friend, they mainly showed it by teasing each other, nothing as sincere as what Balthazar just offered.</p><p>Gabriel shook his head. Charlie seemed to agree. Without even knowing what Balthazar meant, she interjected. "The only one that's going to work something out is me." </p><p>Gabriel shook his head. "I appreciate it both, really. But I don't think she is going to bail on this. Let's just be grateful she is allowing a replacement, instead of just expecting you two to share the work. I'll be fine." He assured his friends. "Sam has brought up the idea of maybe starting a business or something. I think I might take him up on it." </p><p>Charlie looked impressed, although the anger and frustration hadn't left her completely. Gabriel smiled softly. "Promise me you're not going to fight with Ruby," He switched to look at Balthazar. "Or anybody else, over this."</p><p>His friends agreed, clearly not happy about it. "Good." He smiled. "Besides, I still have two months to work on driving you absolutely insane."</p><p>Balthazar smirked, as he retreated back into his usual persona. "You don't need two months for that."</p><p> </p><p>At the end of the day, when Sam and Gabriel met up in his office, Gabriel told Sam about the email. Sam nodded. "I've been told to start training my right hand man to take over all my tasks, apparently Ruby is afraid we'll have no replacement if 'something' were to happen." He rolled his eyes. "She's not even trying to hide it." </p><p>Gabriel pulled at his hoodie. "About that... I couldn't leave Charlie and Balthazar in the dark. They thought they were getting an extra team member." </p><p>Sam smiled, understanding Gabriel immediately. "It's okay you told them. How did Balthazar react to the news about Ruby and Lucifer?" </p><p>"I didn't tell them everything. I mean they do know you guys broke up and that you're living with me for a bit. They don't know the reason behind the break up. Honestly, I don't think he'd mind. I mean, knowning Balth, this is just a friends with benefits kind of thing." </p><p>Sam nodded. "That's fine. Honestly. And you're right, they have a right to know when it affects work." </p><p>Gabriel was grateful Sam didn't seem to mind the way he spilled his secret. "I was thinking, maybe tonight, we can work a bit on ideas for the new business?" </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been two weeks since Gabriel accepted Sam's idea to start a business together. After that, the two of them spend most of their time outside of work discussing their strategy and working on their unique selling point. Gabriel had first assumed they would come up with those things as they went, not before they even started. </p><p>Apparently that wasn't exactly how it worked. Although they always had the possibility to change strategies if they wanted to change something, they wouldn't be able to attract any big investors without a concrete plan. That included a strong, marketable name. They had several ideas ideas, although Sam refused to consider 'Morningstar st-inc. s' as a valid option. </p><p>Gabriel was glad Sam was his business partner for several reasons. One of them being that Sam knew a lot more about the world of investors and how to cater to big potential clients. He also knew a lot more about the legal side of things of course. The day after he pitched his idea to Gabriel, he filed for a patent on the sourcecode of their software.  Just in case Gabriel wanted to go through with it. They received a response that morning, saying the patent was approved. </p><p>Through Gabriel's personal research, he had learned ho big of a deal that was. But if he hadn't, he would have been able to read it from Sam's expresion alone. </p><p> </p><p>"We need to celebrate!" Sam said after he showed Gabriel the email. </p><p>"What kind of celebration are we talking about, Whiskey and Netflix or confetti-poppers and friends?" </p><p>"I was actually thinking, maybe I can take you to dinner somewhere nice?" </p><p>"Where?" They had delibradly been careful about being seen together, due to rumours that might spread. </p><p>"There's this great little restaurant, pretty close to you actually." He said. If Gabriel didn't know any better, he'd say Sam seemed a bit nervous asking him. "We don't have to go there if you don't want to, but I always liked the food a lot. And I also want to treat you to something special after everything you did for me." </p><p>Gabriel smiled softly. "You know that's not necessary right? And it might lead to people seeing us together. I mean, if it's one of the restaurants you used to go to, doesn't that mean that there might be people there that know you?" </p><p>"Probably." Sam nodded. "But that doesn't have to be a bad thing anymore. After all, it might be best to start showing our faces to investors and maybe even clients. If anyone has questions, we can just tell them about the company we're starting. I wanted to start doing that a little later, but it's a good enough excuse to take you out, don't you think?" </p><p>Gabriel was pretty sure that teasing grin and those mischievous eyes would be the death of him. He had noticed that Sam had been flirting with him more and more each passing week. It almost felt like a game, were both of them were trying to outdo the other. </p><p>"No need to make up all these excuses to take me on a date, Sam." He grinned. "Just tell me when to be ready." </p><p> </p><p>They made plans for seven and Sam called right away to make a reservation. From the way Sam talked about the place, Gabriel figured he might want to dress up for the occasion. He settled on a nice button up with a black blazer and black dress pants. It was the most 'formal' outfit he owned and he usually reserved it only for weddings.</p><p>When he entered the livingroom to meet Sam, Gabriel was blown away. Sam always wore a suit to work, but this was next level. From the fitted suit jacket to the crisp white shirt and patterned bow tie. Sam looked like he had walked right out of a magazine. Gabriel felt very underdressed all of a sudden. It was a surprise when Sam told him "You look amazing." With a sort of admiration in his voice Gabriel didn't feel like he deserved.</p><p>"You're one to talk." He let out in a huff as he stepped closer. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to impress me." He teased. And whether or not it was true, it was working.</p><p>Sam simply chuckled instead of answering. "Let's go. It isn't far from here. We can just walk." </p><p> </p><p>There was something special about being with Sam in public that thrilled Gabriel. After all their sneaking around and well set boundaries, the idea of being seen with Sam made Gabriel nervous in the best possible way. They didn't even go grocery shopping together in case they were spotted and now they were walking around, happily chatting and both dressed to impress. </p><p> </p><p>Sam led Gabriel to the restaurant he had been talking about. He had warned him that it might be a bit to extravagant for Gabriel's tastes, and one look at the building was enough to agree that Sam had been right about that. The place looked like a mix between a modern villa and a medieval castle. The entryway was made up out of a large arch in white brick, leading to the open double doors. </p><p>Sam didn't seem phased at all by the impressive building, he barely even seemed to notice how over the top it looked. Gabriel suddenly wondered if it was too late to turn around. He wasn't like Sam. He didn't belong in a place like this. As Gabriel stood stuck in place, with Sam patiently waiting next to him, a group of four approached the doorman. They looked like they belonged. The two man in suits resembling the one Sam was wearing, the woman both in shiny dresses, high heels, perfect makeup and jewelry that looked like it would cost half of Gabriel's monthly pay. </p><p>Gabriel swallowed as he looked up at Sam. Why would the other think it was a good idea to take Gabriel to a place like this. Sam gave him a small smile. "It's all just people." He reminded him. "You okay to go in?" </p><p>Gabriel nodded, trying to calm himself and push away his doubt. He felt Sam put a hand on the small of his back before shooting him a reassuring smile and leading the both of them to the doorman. As soon as Sam appeared, the doorman looked at the list. "Is it under Winchester?" He asked after Sam greeted him. </p><p>"It is." Sam nodded with a friendly smile. As the man looked for their reservation, Sam started a little conversation. Gabriel joined in, feeling more at ease already. He was grateful Sam didn't move away from him, instead keeping his hand in place to guide Gabriel until the arrived at their table. When he removed the hand so they could get seated, his swift smile made Gabriel blush. </p><p> </p><p>The interior of the restaurant lined up neatly with the expectations the exterior brought about. It had a high ceiling, with intricate chandeliers hanging from them. The whole right side of the wall was stocked with bottles of wine and the tables were very spaced apart with lots of plants creating little sections and giving an illusion of privacy. As soon as the guy at the door left to resume his post, a waiter showed up. </p><p>"Can I get you two anything to start with?"</p><p>"Xavier, it's been a while, how have you been?" </p><p>"Very well. The renovations are almost done, so that is a big plus. How about you?" </p><p>"Oh that's great. Just in time to enjoy the garden." He smiled. "Can I get a Brachetto d'Acqui for my partner and a Travis Sauvignon Blanc  for me?" </p><p>"Of course." The waiter gave sam a short nod before heading off.  Before Gabriel could ask Sam what he had just ordered, an stern looking woman made her way over to them. When she saw Sam she smiled slightly, although she didn't say a word. She poured Gabriel a red wine with a light sparkle and Sam a white one. Sam thanked her before she left. </p><p> </p><p>"I could get used to you taking control like that." Gabriel smirked before picking up his glass. "So, why this one for me?" He asked, since he was pretty sure that's what pretentious people did. The smell reminded him faintly of strawberries and roses.</p><p>Sam chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." He promised before looking at Gabriel's drink. "The one I ordered you, the Branchetto d'acqui," He repeated, like Gabriel would actually remember, "is a more gentle wine. It's a bit too sweet for my taste, but I'm convinced you will love it." </p><p>"You know a lot about these things..." </p><p>"After years of practice." Sam added. He lifted his glass and Gabriel copied the motion. "Let's drink to new opportunities." Sam suggested.</p><p>Gabriel smiled as he cheered with Sam, before taking a sip. The wine was sweet, just like Sam promised. It was like red fruit dipped in sugar, almost candy like.</p><p>Sam looked at him with expecting eyes. "How do you like it?"</p><p>"I'm going to have you order for me more often." Gabriel told him, making Sam smile. </p><p>"Any allergies, anything you really don't like?" </p><p>Gabriel had meant it as a joke, but he was sort of glad that Sam took it seriously. "No, anything is fine." </p><p>"Anything it is." Sam grinned and called over their waiter. </p><p>Gabriel smiled as Sam ordered the two of them the five course surprise meal with a matching selection of wines. </p><p> </p><p>As they waited for the first course, Sam pointed out some things in the restaurant and why he loved them. Gabriel loved hearing him talk about it. He'd been a little insecure about being there, afraid that he wouldn't be able to adjust if this what the sort of venue he had to be in, to be with people that could make or break the business. Sam had him focus on other things, things that didn't feel like you had to have at least two houses to enjoy the luxury. </p><p>He talked about how the mostly had plants with larger heavy leaves, because they blocked sound in a natural way and made the place a lot less noisy. How they only used local farmers where possible and how they were all proudly displayed on the website. How the waiters always recognized him, and changed their approach depending on who he was there with.  </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel was completely caught up in Sam's story when Sam suddenly stopped. Xavier and the woman from earlier were standing at their table. The served them their meal  and replaced their empty wine glasses with new ones before he stood back. "This is a pumpkin based bisque with notes of vanilla and a splash of thym." He declared as soon as the two were looking at him. The thick orange soup was served in what looked like a large spoon.</p><p> </p><p>The woman that had poured them wine earlier added. "It is paired with a Vidal-Fleury Blanc from 2017." She showed both of them the label on the bottle. Gabriel wasn't sure if he was supposed to pretend he knew french, so he just stared at the text until it seemed like enough time had passed. "Uh thanks." </p><p>She held the bottle out to Sam who glanced it over quickly before nodding. That seemed to do the trick as well as she pulled it back and started speaking. "Vidal-Fleury Blanc is, just like it's more well known red counterpart, made from grapes growing in the Côtes du Rhône region in France. The Marsanne and Roussanne species used to make Vidal-Fleury Blanc form a complex pallet with hints of apricot, pear, sweet almonds and honey. Would you like a tasting first?" </p><p>Gabriel listened to her explanation, wondering if he was supposed to ask questions at the end. He looked at Sam who smiled up at her. "Please." He agreed for both of them, and Gabriel couldn't help but smile at the way Sam took charge. It reminded him of how Sam reacted to anything involving the law or legal issues.</p><p> </p><p>The woman poured them both a very small serving of wine as Xavier made his way to the next table. </p><p>Sam smiled at Gabriel before looking at the woman. "Maria, I hope you don't mind talking us through this one? My partner is pretty new to wine tasting and I could use a refresher myself." </p><p>Maria's stern look turned into a bright smile. "Of course not. There is a wine tasting on the twenty-fifth if you guys are interested. I can ask Gerald to put you on the list." </p><p>"Gabe, do you have any plans for the twenty-fifth?"</p><p>"I'm guessing my plan is to go to a winetasting?" Gabriel replied with a slight grin.</p><p>"If you want." </p><p>When Gabriel agreed Sam asked Maria to put both of them on the list. </p><p> </p><p>"Of course, for now, let's get a taste of what it'll be like." He said, making Gabriel laugh at her play on words. She talked the both of them through the tasting, explaining every step as they went along. Gabriel never really understood why people went through so many steps to taste wine. Tasting was easy, either you liked something or you didn't. </p><p>He kept his oppinion to himself, seeing the joy Maria had in instructing them. When they finished the taster, Sam asked Gabriel if he liked the wine and as soon as he said yes he asked for two glasses. </p><p> </p><p>Once they were alone again, he caught Sam smiling at him. "See, I told you. You just like seeing me in situations I'm not supposed to be in." </p><p>"No. You just remind me of how I was first time I walked in here." Sam admitted as he looked around the room. "I know it's a bit of a shift from what you're used too, but there are good things about it as well. As much as I like take out and cheap Whiskey, this is where I go to really indulge." He seemed to trail off for a second before continuing with excitement in his eyes. "Go on, have a taste." </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel looked at the spoon like bowl and lifted an eyebrow. "Is this also a taster to see if we want more soup?" He joked. He knew fancy restaurants were known for serving small portions, but it was almost humorous to get only one spoon of soup for a whole course.  </p><p>Sam laughed. "I know the portion sizes seem pretty much a like a joke if you're not used to it. I don't know, I don't really mind it. Every dish is perfect, bursting with a combination or flavours and textures that take ages to perfect." </p><p>Gabriel squinted at him. It was just soup. <em>One spoon</em> of soup. </p><p>Sam still looked amused. "Trust me, just taste it." </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel did as he was told, drinking about half of it. </p><p>Sam looked at him expectingly and Sam had to give it to him. </p><p>"Okay this is amazing." He admitted reluctantly. "It's still not filling though." </p><p>"You don't go to a place like this because you're hungry." Sam told him, starting on his own soup. A look of pure bliss washed over him as ate and Gabriel wondered how often Sam went to places like this before everything changed. Sam sighed contently. "Most people I know end a night like this with a trip to the snackbar, or a complete bag of chips at home."</p><p>"Rich people are weird." Gabriel laughed in responce. </p><p>"You have no idea." Sam agreed amused.</p><p> </p><p>With how Sam was most of the time, it was hard to remember he was also been at the top of a successful business. He had made a life for himself, surrounded by power structures and luxury, but it had never changed him into someone that looked down on the simpler pleasures of life. The guy that loved take out noodles and videogames was the same guy that knew a lot about wine and restaurant etiquette. Gabriel hummed amused at that idea. </p><p> </p><p>Once they were done with the wine and food both, Xavier came to ask if they were ready for the next course. Sam told him they were and turned to Gabriel after Xavier returned to the kitchen. "I didn't grow up like this either, you know. I was brought up in a salvage yard, learning how to fix cars." Sam told him, a distant smile on his face before his eyes fell on the wall of wine bottles. "Now I can tell you which grapes grow in which regions and hold a conversation about the differences between regular and winter Basil." </p><p>"So, is this how you impress all the girls now?" He grinned before taking another sip of wine. </p><p>Sam chuckled. "I don't think I'm that interested in impressing any girls for now." </p><p>After a short silence, during which Sam wasn't shy about studying Gabriel's face, he continued. "I'm just saying, this doesn't come natural to anybody, it's all an act. But there are aspects to it you can enjoy."</p><p>"It doesn't seem like you're just putting up an act. It's like you belong right here." </p><p>"Practice." Sam revealed, just as Xavier returned. </p><p> </p><p>When they were al set with new food and wine, Gabriel felt like he could talk freely again. "Why would you need to practice how to be in a restaurant?" </p><p>Sam shrugged. "Because it's all part of the image you can built for yourself. I know it's ridiculous, but that's just how it works. The first time I came here, Lucifer had invited me to discus my contract over dinner. I thought he was just showing of after he had inherited the company, but it was all a planned effort." </p><p class="">"How?" </p><p class="">"Remember how you felt when you stood in front of the building, wondering if you belonged..." Sam asked and Gabriel nodded, not even a little surprised that Sam had noticed. "He made sure I doubted myself the entire time. He made me choose the wine, then tutted and changed the order, because I should know that it didn't fit the dish. He never started eating before I did, just to see me struggle trying to eat the more experimentally served courses. When I excused myself to go to the bathroom, he warned me not to make eyecontact while walking through the restaurant, since I would probably be confused with a waiter in a suit as cheap as this." </p><p class="">Gabriel was surprised. Not that Lucifer would do such a thing, but that he had planned it out so precisely. He couldn't imagine what that must have felt like. Gabriel felt out of place as it was, and that was with Sam guiding him through everything. "I'm guessing that wasn't great for your negotiation?" </p><p class="">"It was terrible. The only thing that got me through the experience at all was that Xavier took pity on me. When I walked back to the table, he stopped me in the hallway. Apparently it was the fifth time they had seen Lucifer treat someone like that. He told me all the upcoming courses and wines, with little pointers on how to handle things." </p><p class="">"So we're actually here so you can train me to respond to those things in the right way?" Gabriel asked with a suspicious smirk.</p><p class="">Sam shook his head. "No. We are here because I wanted to take you out and I wanted to celebrate. Because despite how overwhelming this place is, it also has amazing food and an excellent selection of wine. And it's special to me." Sam told him. </p><p class="">"Good." Gabriel smiled. "Now let's talk about something else." He suggested, switching to a conversation about what gemes he planned on buying and wether or not they had a multiplayer mode. Sam didn't argue with him, but fully engaged. It made Gabriel feel like he was on steady ground again. </p><p class=""> </p><p> </p><p>Just after their third course, a woman approached them. She was small, but she carried herself like the whole room was watching her. They might be. She looked like a pure image of power. Her hair a fiery red, a few shades darker than her jumpsuit. Gabriel doubted whether or not she was actually headed for them, Until she made it very clear. When she stopped by their table, Sam smiled at her. </p><p>"Samuel." There was a fondness hidden in her distinct scottish accent. "I was afraid my night was going to be dreadfully boring, but than I spotted you and your companion." She pulled up a chair and joined them. Gabriel was pretty sure that wasn't really allowed either in a place like this, but no one seemed to even glance at her casual indiscresion. </p><p>Sam smiled wider as the woman sat down. "Rowena, I haven't seen you in ages. How has your trip been?" He turned to Gabriel. "Rowena, this is Gabriel Novak. Gabriel, Rowena MacLeod. A friend of Lucifer." </p><p>"Friend, well that is an interesting way to put." She hummed, quickly signalling a waiter. "I'd be surprised if that man has any friends at all." </p><p>Gabriel could help but Chuckle and Sam smirked. "She helped with the transfer of Morningstar Inc. from Lucifer's father to him." He clarified. </p><p>"Dreadful. At least Samuel was there to keep me sane, weren't you Sam?" </p><p>"I don't think you need anyone else keeping you sane." Sam laughed.</p><p>"Oh I know, but I'm still glad you were there." The waiter she had flagged earlier came over to deliver her a glass of wine, appearingly knowing what she wanted to order. "Thank you, dear. Now how about you pour these good men some wine on my behalf?" Without a question, two more glasses appeared and were filled.</p><p> </p><p>She turned to Gabriel, who admiddedly admired the way she carried herself. "Gabriel, Good to meet you. I have to say, you've chosen quite the companion. I myself am still waiting for Samuel here to ask me out for dinner." Her voice was a playful tease. "Have you seen the brains on this kid. I've been telling him from the start he should leave that place for what it is and start something new." </p><p>"Apparently it took him some time to follow through..." Gabriel grinned as he looked at Sam. "But better late than never." </p><p>She lifted her glass to her lips, but stopped at the comment. With a raised eyebrow she looked at Sam. "Is that so?" </p><p>"I should have introduced you earlier, my mistake." Sam apologized. "Gabriel is my new business partner." </p><p>"Business partner?" Rowena echoed. "And you didn't consider giving me a call? I'm hurt Samuel, you know I'd be able to help you boys along a little." </p><p>"I was planning to give you a call once we had a little more to talk about. We're actually here to celebrate we've gotten the patent to the base code Gabriel built. It's to do with cyber security." </p><p>"So you're still taking your first steps together?" Rowena seemed intrigued. "Do you have other investors lined up yet?"</p><p> </p><p>Gabriel's ears perked at the phrase. So Rowena was an investor herself. More than that, she seemed pretty interested. </p><p>"Not yet." Sam answered in level headed tone. "We're still working on the plan, but we can do a meet up in less than a month with the current schedule." </p><p>"As soon as you have all the pieces give me a call so we can see if I can make you an offer. I want to be the first one to be called." She said, handing over her business card. </p><p>She stayed around for a little while, talking about a trip she'd been on. She told Sam that he still had an outstanding invitation to spend a week in her castle in Scotland with that girl of his. </p><p>"We broke up actually." Sam informed her. </p><p>Rowena smiled. "Good. I couldn't stand that jealous wrench... I much prefer your current company." She winked at Gabriel. "Offer still stands. I'm sure the two of you could have a nice retreat, talking about business among other things." </p><p>She swirled her wine glass thoughtfully as she cast a look between the two men. "I think it's time for me to go back to the board meeting I came here for. Now you better call me to set something up. I trust that brain of yours and I'm not missing out on a chance to invest. </p><p>"You've got it. Thanks Rowena." </p><p>"Anything for you Samuel." She assured him before going back to the table she came from. </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel looked at Sam with big eyes. "You really weren't kidding about having to get our face out there." Gabriel said, still a little surprised. "Did she just offer to invest?" </p><p>Sam smiled. "She did. Well she offered to look at our plan, but I think we can get her in if we work on the pitch." </p><p>"That's amazing..." Gabriel said, the news not fully setting in yet. Even though they were taking real steps, the idea of starting a business still seemed like more of a far away dream, instead of a current reality. "I didn't think this was the kind of place were badmouthed Lucifer."  </p><p>"With money like that, you can do pretty much do whatever you want. And she definately does." He chuckled. "I mean she worked hard to earn it." </p><p>"Oh?" </p><p>"She grew up in some small village in Scotland with nothing, but she's always been savvy. Worked her way up with investments and made sure she met the right people. If she decides to invest, she's definitely got some good advice for us. She knows quite a lot of people as well, so that will help."</p><p>"You seem to know her pretty well." </p><p>"Like I said, Lucifer brought me on when he got the company, and Rowena was there to help with that whole deal, so we had a lot of meetings. With things like that, there is always a lot of legal stuff. And I was just some guy, straight out of college with to much responcibilities and no idea what was going on. She pretty much coached me on how to stay afloat in a world of sharks."</p><p>Gabriel sighed. "I didn't imagine so much of this journey would be about things like that. I don't think I'm fit for a world like that. Are you sure this is going to work out?" He wondered. "Maybe you should handle the business side of things alone, and I'll just be the pretty face, coding in a corner." He suggested. He wanted to be part of it, but he'd just drag Sam down.</p><p>Sam shook his head. "I'm not going to put your pretty face in the corner, and I want you as my partner. I know it seems like a lot at once, but we can take it in small steps. And believe me, the pretty face really helps in this word." Sam grinned with a wink.</p><p> </p><p>"Sam Winchester, if you keep flirting with me I might even take it seriously some day..." Gabriel teased. It wasn't a total lie, maybe it could even be considered a warning.  </p><p>Sam didn't seem faced by the comment. He looked straight into Gabriel's eyes. "Good." </p><p>"Yeah?" </p><p>"Yeah." </p><p>Gabriel grinned. He hadn't expected Sam to actually be interested at all, but who was he to disagree with Sam's own words. Sam smiled as well, like he had finally been able to say something he had been trying to make clear all this time. </p><p>When Sam seemed to realize he had gotten his point across, he picked the conversation back up, talking about what they should get ready for the investormeeting with Rowena. Gabriel let the topic change, but he couldn't help but feel a little burst of happiness everytime Sam smiled at him. </p><p> </p><p>As they walked home, Gabriel grinned up at Sam. "So how about those pointers on how to eat better next time?"  </p><p>Sam smiled back. "Let's not focus on that stuff tonight. Lets just enjoy our win. We might have an investor, that's huge." </p><p>"I still can't believe all we had to do was go to a fancy restaurant once. Now be honest, did you know she'd be there?" </p><p>"I thought she was still in Bali, so no. I just wanted to show you this life a bit, and show them you as well. This does mean we might have to speed up our planning." Sam admitted. </p><p>"How? We already spend most of our free time working on SG." </p><p>"I was thinking about expanding my free time." Sam admitted with a nervous grin.</p><p>"You mean-" </p><p>"Yeah, I know I said I'd wait until they kick me out, but I can't stand working there any longer. This is the perfect reason to quit." Sam insisted. </p><p>Gabriel nodded as he thought it over. "It's going to be weird." </p><p>"I'm not asking you to do the same. I know you don't want to leave your team." </p><p>"I don't, but I do want to be part of this company with everything I have."</p><p>"Are you sure?" </p><p>"No, but I guess I'm taking a risk. Besides, I still have to complete two more weeks after quitting, so it won't be like I'm leaving at once." He said to ensure Sam it was okay, and to comfort himself in thinking it was.</p><p> </p><p>When they got home, Gabriel suggested watching something on Netflix before bed. He already went to grab a bag of chips, because he at least needed a little snack to actually feel a little more full. </p><p>Sam agreed as he petted the cats. Beanie went straight for the couch, looking at Sam to see if he'd follow. Sam smiled, shrugging off his tailored jacket and loosening his bowtie before he let himself fall back onto the couch so Beanie could make herself comfortable on his lap. Sam selected <em>'The Legend of Korra'</em> which Gabriel had convinced him they should watch together. Gabriel joined him with a bag of chips in his hands and Mittens following him out the kitchen. "Good choice." He approved as he sat down next to Sam, close enough for their legs to touch. </p><p>Sam looked at him for a second before he started speaking. "I really enjoyed going to dinner tonight." He admitted in a soft voice, fidgeting with his hands a little. He sighed, but Gabriel could tell he wasn't done speaking yet. After a short silence, Sam smiled tensely. "I know now is kind of a messed up time. But do you think, somewhere in the future, I could ask you out on a real date?" </p><p>Gabriel could feel his heart melt at the question. It sounded so sincere. "I'd like that." </p><p>"Me too." Sam agreed before he slowly put an arm around Gabriel, focussing back on the screen. Gabriel let out a satisfied laugh as he rested his head against Sam's shoulder. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gabriel was surprised when Sam didn't drop him off at their usual place the next monday, but instead drove past it, going straight for the office. "I think you missed a turn." Gabriel told him.</p><p>Sam smiled at him. "Listen. If we are both going to turn in our two weeks notice today, there's not a lot they can do to us  for showing up together." He paused for a second and Gabriel could tell Sam was watching his from the corner of his eyes. "Unless it makes you uncomfortable."  </p><p>"I don't get uncomfortable easily." Gabriel assured him. He thought back about their time time at the restaurant with a sheepish smile and added, "Well, not by this stuff anyway." </p><p>"Good." Sam chuckled. After they drove into the parkinglot, Sam let out a satisfied sigh. "I can't believe I'm actually handing in my resignation today. This is the start of something good." </p><p>Gabriel looked at him. He loved that confident smile that Sam showed more and more with each passing week. "It is. It's still weird to leave my team." Gabriel admitted, before Sam placed a comforting hand on his knees. </p><p>After the dinner, they had been more liberal with little touches. Gabriel could still drown in each and everyone of them. He gave Sam a reassuring smile. "I'm fine." He assured him. "The new guy is coming in a few days, and I figured I can just ask Charlie what would fit best with her plans. Maybe I can stay an extra week or so to help out while they're teaching the kid. Maybe do some half days, so I still have time to work at home afterwards." </p><p>Sam nodded as he squeeze the knee before letting go. "That's actually a really good idea."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It felt kind of nice to walk into the building with Sam next to him, instead of being dropped off a few streets down like they were having some secret affair. Gabriel's smile soon vanished as he saw a familiar face standing at the reception desk. Of course <em>she </em>would be the first person they saw.</p><p>Ruby's eyes grew wide as she saw the two men entering together. She promptly cut the conversation with the receptionist short to make her way over to them with long strides and an ice cold gaze. "You two have some fucking balls." She spit out. It was clear she tried, and failed to keep her voice down. The lady in reception looked up with interest. </p><p>Gabriel narrowed his eyes at Ruby. If she wanted a confrontation, she could have it. There was nothing this woman could do to hurt them anymore now that they were leaving. "I'm well aware." He grinned, just to piss her off. </p><p>"What do you want Ruby?" Sam asked as he crossed his arms, his tone more annoyed than shocked. </p><p>"What do I want? Let's talk about what you fucking want instead." She looked at Gabriel. It wasn't just disgust, there was a hatred inside her eyes that almost scared Gabriel. "Really him... And then you take this into here, to what, taunt me?" </p><p>If anything, Gabriel was surprised about how loud she was being. He hadn't expected her to hash out their problems in public. She was usually so intent on keeping her reputation squeaky clean, something must have really been wrong for her to put that on the line. They had barely done anything, just walked in together.</p><p> </p><p>Sam exhaled slowly, trying and failing to hold his calm composure it seemed like. The lady at reception was staring now, as were the few people that had been walking through the entrance hall, most of them lingered to see what the commotion was about. The attention didn't stop Ruby from taking a step closer, challenging the two of them with an intense look. With her five foot three and slim posture, she shouldn't look as intimidating as she did. Gabriel was briefly reminded of his encounter with Rowena, and how the admittedly shorter woman had seemed to hold a power and a strength that didn't fully fit her posture. </p><p>But that wasn't what this was. Rowena's power had been elegant, natural yet calculated. She didn't look like she was trying to prove something. Ruby on the other hand commanded dominance in her stance and with the rage in her eyes. She looked like she was ready for battle. Body centered and chin up.</p><p>Sam responded likewise, taking a step closer and strategically placing at least half of himself  between Gabriel and Ruby. She let out a small huff as she noticed, lifting an eyebrow at Gabriel. Sam looked tense, his eyes shooting over to Gabriel before he went back to keeping an eye on Ruby. "You don't want to do this Ruby. Not here." </p><p>"You know what I don't want?" She asked in a loud hiss. "I don't want to watch you come in here like a happy couple with the guy you're fucking to get back at me. You know, I could have you fired right now for sleeping with a subordinate. I could have both of you gone by the end of the day." Small gasps emerged from the crowd that had formed around them and a low mutter filled the air. Sam's expression didn't change, but Ruby smirked. She looked vindicated by the scandalized murmur. </p><p>"Admit it, Sam. You're a pathetic excuse of a man. Barely a man at all." She looked at him, studying him as she played with her ring. </p><p>Sam's hardened exterior broke. Years of being told he wasn't good enough, that everything was his fault, it all came back. His shoulders slumped for a second and that was all Ruby needed. </p><p> </p><p>A hand moved rapidly in the air. Before Gabriel was fully aware of what had happened, he heard a hollow thud, followed by gasps from the crowd. He saw Sam trying to clutch his forehead, eyes closed as he screamed in agony, blood already running down the side of his head.</p><p>Even as he tried to defend himself, he moved in front of Gabriel as fast as he could, his free hand blocking him as his body leaned in to do the same. Before he gasped for air and fell to the ground on his knees, doubling over. </p><p>There were two people at Ruby's side, holding her back from attacking again. One of them was Balthazar, he didn't know the other person. He didn't care about that at the moment, He just needed to make sure Sam was doing okay. He kneeled next to him.</p><p>Sam looked barely conscious. He was still gasping as he clutched his head and stomach both. There was blood dripping from the side of his face, the skin under it was already starting to swell. Ruby had gone for the weak spots. A well aimed hit to Sam's temple with the stone of her ring and a forceful knee between his legs. Gabriel wasn't sure any guy would be able to stand after that. </p><p> </p><p>"Sam." Gabriel called, trying to get his attention. He didn't know a lot about how to deal with injuries, but he was pretty sure he was supposed to keep Sam conscious, especially after a possible brain injury. Sam looked at him though his right eye. He was barely able to even open the left one with the swell of his face. Luckily someone hurried over with a first aid kit. Some people just lingered, watching as Sam lay there, others scattered like they hadn't seen anything. Gabriel noticed Balthazar typing away on his phone now That Ruby seemed to have calmed down a little. </p><p>Her lip was quivering as the men she supposedly loved was in front of her, bleeding and in pain. But her eyes still had that dark look, like she believed this was some sort of justice.</p><p> </p><p>The man with the first aid told Sam move the hand out of the way to let him look at the cut on his face. Gabriel didn't care about the prying eyes. When Sam reached the bloody hand out to hold Gabriel's, Gabriel took it, softly rubbing the back of it with his thumb. The man asked Sam a few questions to examine his mental state, like what year it was and the answer to 13 plus 26. Gabriel stayed silent as the other questioned Sam and cleaned the sharp cut the stone on Ruby's ring left. He didn't want to add another thing for Sam to focus on.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh come on, he's a big guy. It's not that bad." Ruby sighed, although there was an undeniable tremble in her voice. "It's not like I hit his boyfriend. Sam's strong."</p><p>Gabriel looked up at her, glaring. "You shut up right now." He said, feeling anger sore through him. He was more than ready to give her a piece of his mind, but he felt Sam squeeze his hand. </p><p>"Don't." It was a soft, broken mutter, but it was enough for Gabriel to hold himself back.</p><p> </p><p>Before Ruby could respond, the elevator opened. Gabriel barely registered the sound until he heard Lucifer's voice booming over the murmur that was by now filling the entrence hall.</p><p>"Really, you've resorted to punching" Lucifer asked unimpressed as he stepped out. Ruby gave him a dark look, but he was having none of it. He didn't even spare her a second look, instead turning to Sam.</p><p>"Are you okay, can you get up?" He asked in a voice Gabriel barely recognized. It was almost like he cared. Almost.</p><p>Sam nodded softly, before cringing at the feeling the movement gave him.</p><p>"I'm taking that as a no." He looked at Balthazar. "Can you call the police and an ambulance, just in case?" </p><p>Balthazar nodded as he started dialing. </p><p>Ruby scoffed. "Oh come on, Sam's a grown man. I barely-" </p><p>"Up to my office." Lucifer ordered, promptly cutting her off. </p><p>Ruby's face fell. "Luci... You can't b-" </p><p>"Was I unclear?" He retorted, pointing at the elevator. "You punched a guy, in <em>my</em> building, on <em>my</em> clock, as <em>my</em> HR manager." He said in a low growl. "You're going up to my office, right now. Sit your ass down and wait for the police to arrive." His voice was clearcut and hard.</p><p> </p><p>Ruby clearly still wanted to argue. She looked around for support, seemingly surprised at the horrified faces looking back at her. After a short silence she gave in with a huff, getting into the elevator to go up to the office. </p><p>Lucifer looked around the hall. "As for the rest of you, I'm sure you have work to get to. Stay available incase eyewitnesses are requested."</p><p>With a loud murmur the gathered crowd dispersed until it was only Sam, Gabriel, the first aid guy, Lucifer and Balthazar. Balthazar thanked the people on the other end of the line. "They're on their way. They estimate they'll be here in ten minutes." </p><p>Lucifer nodded. "Thank you. Can you explain to Charlie what happened? Let her know Gabriel is going to take a paid day off to help Sam recover?" </p><p>"Of course." Balthazar agreed. "I'll swing by your office after the police are done okay? In case you need some extra testimony." If the situation had been different, Gabriel would be sure that was a eufemism, but with the situation at hand and the way Balthazar said it, it sounded more like he'd be there in case Lucifer needed to talk. </p><p>Lucifer nodded. "Thank you." </p><p>Balthazar turned to Gabriel. "If there's anything we can do for you guys, let us know." </p><p>"I'll call." Gabriel promised. "Thanks for jumping in." </p><p>Balthazar nodded before making his way to The Cave.</p><p> </p><p>They decided to leave Sam in the entrance hall until the ambulance arrived, not wanting to worsen his situation by moving him. Gabriel held on to his hand as the other guy examined the bruising. Luckily Sam seemed to be doing better by the minute. He wasn't doing good, but Gabriel no longer felt like he'd die right in front of him now. </p><p>The first aid guy explained something about how his body had mainly been reacting to the trauma by shutting down. Sam was running a fever too in response to his body trying to heal. </p><p>Lucifer told everyone that entered the building and stopped to stare or to ask what had happened that they should keep on walking. Gabriel knew it was most likely just a ploy, but he still appreciated Lucifer being there to take care of that. Gabriel and the other guy kept Sam talking to keep him conscious until they heard the sound of sirens in the distance. By now, Sam seemed a little bit level headed, but he was still barely able to move without groaning in pain at the effort. </p><p> </p><p>When the sirens were near enough, Lucifer headed outside to help the first responders to get in. He returned with two policemen and two ambulance workers, carrying a stretcher. "He's thare on the ground." Lucifer told them. The two medics hurried over to Sam, sutting the stretcher beside him as the crowded over him. </p><p>"Mister Winchester? Can you tell me what day it is?" They went through the same line of questioning as the other guy went through earlier. At the end, they told him that there didn't seem to be any damage to his frontal cortex. Gabriel tried to follow the line of conversation, but he couldn't be sure what exactly they were testing for. They asked Sam if he could still hear properly, if his eyes were picking up light before testing it with a little flashlight they had on hand. </p><p>The things possible consequences those questions implied were too serious for Gabriel to wrap his head around. Sam described a low ringing in his ear and being unable to open the eye properly, but still being able to see lights and shapes. Gabriel stayed quiet throughout all of it, holding Sam's hand until the police asked him to follow them into a conference room to give a statement. He looked at Sam, not really willing to leave him. </p><p>One of the officers noticed that Gabriel was holding Sam's hand and put a soft hand on his shoulder. "We don't have to do this now, but it is usually better to get it over with right away. It'll just take a few minutes." She assured him, before asking the medics if they could warn them before getting Sam to a hospital. Once they assured the both of them Sam wasn't leaving without Gabriel, Sam dropped Gabriel's hand, giving him a reassuring smile. "Go, I'm doing a lot better. Nothing's going to happen while you're there." The drained tone of his voice wasn't making it easier, but Gabriel wasn't going to fight him on anything right now.</p><p> </p><p>The officers guided him to one of the meetingrooms Lucifer had appearently ordered to be cleared. Giving the statement was harder than he had suspected. It had all happened in such a blur. Gabriel felt almost drained of emotion as he told the police how Ruby approached them when she saw them walking in together, and why that bothered her. He also told them about the bloody ring and way Sam had shielded him. They asked if she had been violent toward Sam before. He honestly didn't know. He didn't think so, but he wouldn't be surprised either. </p><p>Once they were done, Sam was already gone from the hall. They instead escorted him outside, where Sam was lying in the ambulance, hooked on some IV. The medic that was with him stepped out to give a report to the police.</p><p> </p><p>Gabriel shook as he took in Sam's form when he stepped inside the ambulance. He had been powering through on pure adrenaline so far, but when he saw Sam lying there, ready to be taken to a hospital, because of a jealous ex, everything hit him at once. Sam looked so fragile, his head bandaged up but still swelling. There was an IV drip in his arm a small heart rate monitor clipped to his finger.</p><p>Gabriel could feel tears running down his face before he even realized he started crying. Sam reached over to grab his hand. "I'm doing better." He assured him softly. "But they need to check if she broke my temporal bone and if there are lose fragments damaging my brain right now." He explained, sounding a lot more coherent than he had earlier. </p><p>Gabriel took Sam's hand in both of his. "I'm sorry." </p><p>"Gabe don't. This isn't your fault." He assured him before the medic entered again. </p><p> </p><p>"Mister Novak, are you ready for us to leave?" She asked in that careful tone that told him she had no idea yet what they were going to face once they got to the hospital.</p><p>"Of course. What is going to happen now?" he asked as he sat down on the little chair that was bolted to the ambulance, close enough to keep holding Sam's hand.</p><p>"When we get to the hospital we are going to make some X Rays and some other internal scans. We need to make sure there is no damage to the ear canal or brain. If there is nothing dangerous going on, he can go home with a dosage of pain medication and a check up in two months. If we do find something, we'll have to go from there, but you might have to prepare for a surgery with possible loss of hearing on one side, or loss of some brain functions." </p><p>Gabriel looked at Sam in utter shock, but apparently Sam had heard it already. "It's a very small chance, they just need to make sure." </p><p>"That's right. I just want to lay out all possibilities, but there is a big chance this will not leave permanent damage." </p><p>Gabriel nodded, his mind already racing to how he was going to help Sam in any possible scenario. </p><p> The medic stayed in the back with the two of them on the way to the hospital. Although he would like some time alone with Sam, he was comforted by the knowledge that if anything happened at this point, she would be able to act on it right away. </p><p>As they drove, Sam told Gabriel that he had decided to press charges against Ruby for assault. Gabriel smiled at him. "Good, she'll pay for this."</p><p> </p><p>When they arrived at the hospital, a bed was wheeled out to transfer Sam to. The medic assured Gabriel it was just a precaution in case the temporal bone was actually broken and floating around in Sam's head. Even if it was just a precaution, it added to the feeling of dread. The way they handled Sam like one wrong move could be fatal, and in honesty, it could be. </p><p>As soon as Sam was on the bed, Gabriel was by his side again to hold his hand. He was allowed to accompany Sam as they wheeled the bed through the halls. When the reached a large door, the medic from earlier told them Sam had to undergo some tests, and Gabriel couldn't join him for that.</p><p>He was told he had to wait in the general waiting room until they were done, which would at least take about an hour. The medic also promised Gabriel that if Samhad to go for a surgery straight away, she would make sure they'd notify Gabriel at once. </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel headed to the waiting room, feeling the gloom that usually hung over hospital corridors bare down on him. The TL lighting, the smell of disinfectant, it was all too much. He grabbed his phone. Charlie and Balthazar had both texted him to ask how Sam was doing. He decided to call Charlie first in the hope they were together. </p><p>She picked up on the first ring. "Gabe? How is he?" </p><p>"They took him into the hospital. Is Balthazar there?" </p><p>"Yeah, I'll put you on speaker." </p><p>"Thanks." </p><p>He started of by thanking Balthazar for holding Ruby back and messaging Lucifer right away. After that he recalled everything that happened. How it felt to walk into the building with Sam. He swallowed as he realized what had brought them to do that in the first place. </p><p>His friends didn't seem surprised to hear that Gabriel and Sam both planned on leaving. In fact, Charlie assured him that he didn't need to change his schedule to help with their understaffing problems. She knew Gabriel and Sam were working on starting their own business so she had seen it coming. apparently. </p><p>He was glad to hear that, but told her to hold off on finalizing anything like that for now, at least until they knew if Sam was going to come out of this okay. He explained that Sam was now being scanned. His voice broke as he recalled the way Sam looked as they wheeled him in and how scary it had been to see him in that ambulance. </p><p>Gabriel was so grateful he was able talk the experience over with his friends, just to go through it all again and make it make sense in his head. It made him feel less alone. He didn't care that he was crying by now as he talked about the possible brain damage Sam might have. He was far from the only one in the waiting room that was crying. When he felt a little calmer, he asked if they had any clue what had happened in the office as a result of the fight. </p><p>Apparently, Ruby was taken away in handcuffs. Balthazar had gone up to Lucifer's office to report on what had happened, as he called it, and it turned out she had been playing her usual game of pretending like she was actually the victim, because Sam cheated on her with a guy. </p><p>Gabriel didn't care about how false that was, he just hoped she wasn't going to get away with that excuse. Apparently not if they dragged her off in cuffs. Some of the people involved had been contacted for a statement, and apart from that, not a lot had changed.</p><p> </p><p>He talked to his friends for over half an hour before the call ended. Gabriel promised to keep both of them updated. They offered to come by after work if Sam had to stay in the hospital for the night, but Gabriel told them it wasn't necessary. He didn't want to consider that as a possibility yet, and even if it happened to be the case, he was pretty sure he'd rather just stay with him as long as he was allowed to and then be alone with his cats at home. </p><p> </p><p>It was hard to not feel the dread bearing down on him as he waited for news. The waiting room was filled with frightened people, people crying and then just a mix of people there for a check-up, trying to ignore the other groups. Gabriel tried distracting himself from his own worry by looking through his phone or picking up a magazine, but it all seemed meaningless as long as he didn't know how Sam was doing. He kept a tight eye on the large clock on the wall. They told him it would take at least an hour around nine thirty. When ten thirty passed without any news, he had to hold himself back from going up to the reception and asking for an update. It wouldn't help Sam if someone had to disturb the doctors to see how it was going and the lady from the ambulance had promised to keep him updated as soon as there was news. </p><p>The minutes went by too slowly, but around a quarter to ten, Gabriel no longer cared for how dreadful it had been to wait. His eyes had been trained onthe doors to the corridor. Each time they opened he hoped a if a doctor or nurse he recognized came through it, each time it had been a dissapointment. It was only when he saw Sam walked through that door that he realized he hadn't even considered that to be a possibility. </p><p> </p><p>Sam stood there, no IV, not transported on a bed by a large medical team. It was just Sam, looking alive and well. Or at least as well as someone could look with their face bandaged up. Sam looked around the room with the one eye that wasn't covered in bandages. </p><p>Gabriel hurried towards him, smiling as he saw the other smile at him. "Sam, you're walking!" Gabriel said amazed. </p><p>Sam pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm okay." He assured him, and the words alone send a wave of relieve through Gabriel. "There's a small fracture in my skull, but nothing dislodged or something like that." He explained. "I need to head to reception to plan a check-up, and go past the pharmacy for some heavy pain medication, but that's nothing we can't overcome." </p><p>It was amazing to see the change in Sam from how he had looked right after it happened. Gabriel vaguely remembered the first aid guy mentioning it was the body shutting down to deal with direct trauma, but at that point, he hadn't believed that he would be seeing Sam doing this well in a few hours time. He was sure the pain medication helped with that as well. </p><p>"I'll get us an Uber home while you do that." Gabriel told him, taking some extra time to look Sam over, just because he needed to make himself believe Sam was really there, with only a big bruise and a bandage. After making a follow-up appointment and getting the medicine, they were able to just go home. </p><p> </p><p>On the uber drive home, Sam contacted Lucifer to let him know how he was doing and that he needed a few days off until he was able to lower the dosis of pain medication. Gabriel took the time to let Charlie and Balthazar know Sam was being released right away, and that he might need an extra day off to take care of him. </p><p>After they both put their phones away, Sam told Gabriel about the scans and the doctors early predictions, but they both stayed away from talking about the incident itself. Gabriel didn't feel like addressing it with other people around and Sam seemed to agree with that. While they were sitting in the back of the Uber, he could feel Sam's hand brushing against his. Sam gave him an apologetic smile, to which Gabriel smiled back before taking Sam's hand in his. </p><p> </p><p>Luckily the ride home wasn't that long, especially since the traffic wasn't really bustling around eleven AM. When they arrived home, Sam asked if it would be a problem for him to go lie down for a little. Gabriel helped him up the stairs, since his depth perception was severely limited with the bandages blocking one eye. As soon as Sam got to his bed, Gabriel turned to leave.</p><p>"Could you stay for a bit?" Sam asked, his voice as apologetic as it had been all morning. "I don't really want to be alone with my thought right now. Just for a bit, I'm sure the painkillers will put me to sleep in no time." </p><p>"Of course." Gabriel turned around, seeing Sam take of his button up shirt. There was a little blood on the front and it was a complete wrinky mess. Gabriel tried not to blush as Sam shrugged it off, reveiling the hunk of muscles he was. </p><p>Sam noticed the way Gabriel looked at his body and huffed out a laugh. "Ruby always warned me I wouldn't be able to hold myself up in a fight, no matter how much I'd train." He looked down at himself. </p><p>It was weird in a way, to be reminded of how strong Sam was after seeing him so fragile. The words made Gabriel think about something he had been wondering about eversince he gave the statemant to the police. "Has she ever hit you before?" He asked, carefully studying Sam's expression to make sure Gabriel hadn't crossed a line. </p><p>Sam's face dropped as he sat down on the bed. He sighed. "Never." He admitted. "But if I'm honest. I don't think she meant to hurt me." </p><p>"I don't know. From what I've heard, she seemed pretty intent with the way she angled her ring." Gabriel told him, unsure how much of that Sam had heard yet.</p><p>"Yeah, no. I think the moment she did try to his me, she went all out and I don't doubt she knew what she was doing. She does martial arts at our gym so she knows exactly where the weak spots are."</p><p>"But you don't think she intended to get violent?"</p><p>"Not with me." There was in Sam's eyes that made Gabriel think he was ashamed of his thoughts.</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"I could see it in her eyes, the way she looked at you."</p><p>That's when it clicked. That's why Sam had been so reluctant to talk about it in the hospital and the car ride home. "You think she planned to hit me?" </p><p>"I'm pretty convinced of it actually." He answered in a soft tone. "And I wasn't going to let that happen." </p><p>Gabriel stayed quiet for a moment. He thought back about that morning, suddenly remembering how Sam had stepped up between Gabriel and Ruby, how his first instinct after being hit was to shield Gabriel and how Ruby had been angry enough at that to finish by kneeing him in the balls. He was at a loss for words as he looked at Sam, who had stood up for him since the beginning. "Thank you." He muttered after a long silence. "I'll help you get through this. If there's anything you need, I'm here." He smiled softly as he helped Sam into bed property. </p><p>Sam smiled as he grabbed his hand again. "I just need you Gabriel." </p><p> </p><p>No matter how sweet that was, Gabriel couldn't help but grin. "I think the pills are getting to your head. And I was actually talking about medicine or like a glass of water." He said, stroking the back of Sam's hand. "You've already got me." </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Heyy, sorry to do this again. I really wanted to be on time and stick to my schedule, but some real life stuff is filling my time. next update will be the 24th. I'm so sorry.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gabriel stayed  by Sam's side until the other fell asleep. The doctors warned them that Sam would probably sleep a lot, especially the first few days. The mix of medication and the body trying to heal itself would keep him tired. Beanie was purring at Sam's door. She had grown quite fond of him, but Gabriel was afraid she might try to play with the bandages, so he wanted her to stay outside while Sam slept. It was pretty hard to hold her back from getting in anyway as Gabriel left, but he picked her put before she could slip past him. </p>
<p>He closed the door slowly as he petted the cat. "Sam can't play right now sweetie." He told her as she looked at the door. He was glad he at least had his cats to keep him company as he waited for Sam to wake up. They always made him feel better. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When he was downstairs, Gabriel was unsure what to do. He wanted to start working on the plans for the company. Their strategy only needed some finetuning, something he and Sam should finish together, but he considered doing some research into the image of their brand. He wouldn't be amking any decision, it would just some ground work, so he could spend his free time doing something useful until Sam woke up, or he needed to wake him for another dose of medication. </p>
<p>Gabriel groaned in frustration as he reread the same sentence for the fitfh time, barely recalling why he was even googling colors. He couldn't get his mind to focus. Everything reminded him of what happened that morning, even the faint white hue in the background of the website reminded him of the tiles in the waitingroom. The descriptions on the website reminded him aswell.. He was reading up on logos and the effect of different shapes and colors had on the phycology and expectation of consumers. Anything set him of. Red, the color of Sam's blood on the tiles. Diamant, the cut of Ruby's ring. It was like he was torturing himself. He kept seeing Sam on the tiles of the entrance hall or on the hospital bed, being rushed to a room to see if there were bone fragments floating around in his brain. He closed his laptop, this was getting him nowhere. </p>
<p>Having his mind empty was perhaps an even worse decision. He had to hold himself back from going up to Sam's room to check if he was still breathing many times. He considered busy his mind by gaming until Sam woke up, but almost all his games dealt with a lot of violence and fighting s that wasn't really an option either.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>By the time Sam came downstairs, Gabriel was lying outstretched on the couch, his cats surounding him for comfort as he pet them. Even Socks, who usually chose to stay in her box, was lying near his feet and keeping an eye on him. Gabriel closed his eyes as lay, trying to block out the worries in his head and trying to foccus on the positives. Sam was alright, or at least he would be with a little time. Ruby had exposed herself as the monster she had always been, he and Sam were closer than ever. When he had almost succeeded in distracting himself enough to feel a bit more at ease, his eyes flew open at the sound of footsteps acompanied by the lingering smell of the disinfectant the doctors had used to treat Sam. </p>
<p>Before Gabriel could even get up, Beannie jumped off of him to make her way over to Sam. The other chuckled as crouched down to pet her, one hand firm on the back of the couch for support.  As Gabriel sat up, Socks moved back to her own corner of the room. Gabriel smiled at the cat, feeling grateful that she kept watch over him. </p>
<p>He turned to Sam. "How are you feeling?" He asked softly. He caught himself looking Sam over again, his eyes lingering on the side of his head, where the bandages covered the bump that formed right where Ruby had hit him. The swell was still clear underneath, thick enough to close off half of Sam's eyes. They had covered the eye in bandages as well, since the bump made the skin around the socket lay unnatural, forming constant tearing and blurry vision. Eventhough that meant Sam had no dept perseption like this, the doctors had assured him it was more comfortable than having the eye uncovered. </p>
<p>"Better, still a bit dazed I guess." Sam answered as he sat down next to Gabriel. "What about you?" </p>
<p>"You shouldn't be worrying about me." </p>
<p>"I still do." Sam voice was soft. "I didn't mean to drag you into any of this Gabe... But thank you for sticking around anyway." </p>
<p>"I can't say it's not an exciting ride." Gabriel grinned, trying to lighten the conversation a little. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>They decided to just hang back and watch some Netflix to pass the day. It wasn't like they were going to get anything useful done, they might as well try to relax as far as possible. They had barely started an episode before Sam groaned. . "Sorry, can we turn this off. It's messing with my head." He asked, an apologetic look washing over his face. </p>
<p>Gabriel turned the television off instantly, not wanting to cause Sam any harm. "Are you okay?" </p>
<p>"Yeah, it's just making my head hurt to stare at the tv. Would you mind if I try reading for a bit?"</p>
<p>Gabriel shook his head. "Do whatever makes you feel okay." He assured Sam, taking out his phone to scroll on tumblr for a bit. It was easier to keep his mind busy now that Sam was next to him and he wasn't making up constant doom scenarios of him dying in his sleep. </p>
<p>It didn't take long for Sam to put his book down again. "Okay, concentrating on small letters is also causing headaches." He sighed, sounding frustrated with himself.</p>
<p>Gabriel looked at Sam for a second, feeling bad. He then smiled a little, taking the book on Norse Mythology and opening it at the bookmark. </p>
<p>Sam looked at him curiously. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I'll just start at the begin of this story if you don't mind." Gabriel offered with a grin. The book was devided in chapters, each chapter a completely seperate myth, so he could just in, even if Sam was already halfway through the book. "Thor's wife was the beautiful Sif. She was of the Aesir." </p>
<p>"What are you doing?" </p>
<p>"Reading. I happen to like mythology a lot and it's not like either of us have something better to do." </p>
<p>"Oh." Sam was surprised, but he didn't argue. Instead he leaned against Gabriel as he continued, with an arm now loosely around Sam.</p>
<p>"Thor loved her for herself, and for her blue eyes and her pale skin, her red lips and her smile, and he loved her for her long, long hair," He couldn't help but play with Sam's hair softly as he read that part, earning a soft smile. "the colour of a field of barley at the end of summer." </p>
<p>He read Sam the whole chapter, the two barely moving except when Gabriel had to turn a page. Gabriel hadn't expected anything would be nice on a day like this, but it was. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>After the story finished, he asked Sam if he wanted to hear the next, but Sam told him he was fighting to stay awake, so he helped Sam to bed instead. When Sam was asleep again Gabriel texted Charlie, asking her for another day off, and to maybe work from home for the rest of the week, so he could be with Sam in case he needed something. As he suspected, Charlie was more than okay with that. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The next time Sam came down, they read another passage of Norse Mythology, after which they both decided to turn in for the night. It was early, but it had been a hell of a day and Gabriel was glad for it to be over. He told Sam he could wake him up for anything, although he was pretty convinced Sam wouldn't do that unless he had no other choice. He made sure Sam had water and a bottle of painkillers at his bedside. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Gabriel walked into the living room the next day, Sam was already awake and dressed. He had earpods in, so Gabriel presumed he was listening to music or maybe a podcast knowing Sam. Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder to alert Sam that he was there. Beanie was a lot less subtle as she jumped on his lap.</p>
<p>Sam chuckled. "Well good morning to both of you." He grinned after taking out his earpods. </p>
<p>"How did you sleep?" </p>
<p>"Pretty well, considering everything." He shrugged. "Do you have to go back to work today?" </p>
<p>"I asked Charlie for an extra day off, so I'm free all day."</p>
<p>Sam smiled widely at that. "Do you think you could come to the police station with me? I was just listening to my emails and they asked me to come in and give a testimony as soon as I was able." </p>
<p>Gabriel wasn't surprised that Sam had found a way to look through his email, even without being able to read easily. He squeezed Sam's shoulder. "Of course. Are you nervous?"</p>
<p>"I don't know." Sam admitted, his smile faltering. "I mean, it's weird. Despite everything, I shared the last four years of my life with Ruby. A part of me still cares for her. I'll never forgive her, not for what she did when we were together and not for attacking us, but I mean..." He sighed, looking up at Gabriel. "If the state decides to prosecute her as well, she could end up in jail. I don't think I want that."</p>
<p>Gabriel didn't think she'd actually go to jail for something like that, but then again, she had gotten close to causing serious brain damage. Something in Gabriel wanted to see her suffer in response. "What would you want?" </p>
<p>"I don't know. I mainly just want this all to be over." Sam admitted with a sigh. "I just want to leave Ruby and Morningstar inc. in the past and start our own company." He admitted. "But I don't think it's that easy." </p>
<p>"Of course not. Nothing is ever easy." Gabriel agreed. "But you can make eating the right way hard, and you managed either way. You're already doing better than you were. I think we'll be fine in the long run." </p>
<p>As Gabriel made them breakfast, Sam called the station to schedule an appointment for later that day. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sam looked like he hadn't been on a bus in ages. He looked almost as awkward as the people that tried not to stare at his bruised face and bandages. Gabriel led them to a seat in the back. With Sam's long legs barely fitting, they were pressed together in their seats. Gabriel smiled at Sam, trying to ignore how being pressed up against Sam still made him nervous. Especially while being out in public. "Welcome to my world." He grinned, remembering the fancy restaurant. </p>
<p>Sam chuckled, looked around. "You know I didn't grow up eating caviar either right... My brother and I used to always take the bus to my uncles scrapyard before we moved there. It makes me think back on that time, and my time in college of course." </p>
<p>"Real man of the people." Gabriel teased, earning a laugh. It was sweet to hear the nostalgia that Sam felt for the simple life. He probably hadn't even realized how his life became vastly different in little steps. It's something that's only noticeable when you are reminded of how things used to be. </p>
<p>Gabriel was sure he had changed as well in his time with Sam. It was apparent in little things.  Gabriel had grown so accustomed to getting driven to work, he wasn't used to the bus anymore either. The vague, but lingering scent of other people's sweat and the bits of food that got stuck between the seats. The constant noise of people chatting in a hushed tone. The jerky driving style of a chauffeur that was always a few minutes behind on his schedule, trying to catch up. It was a familiar displeasure that he hadn't missed perse, but that he still appreciated having to go through for now. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The bus drew to a halt after Gabriel pressed the button. Their stop was only half a street away from the station itself. It wasn't a long walk, but with every step, Sam's nerves seemed to grow. When they were almost there, Sam grabbed Gabriels hand again. Gabriel looked at him from the corner of his eyes. Sam did the same, throwing him a small, uncomfortable smile before looking at the station again. </p>
<p>Sam squeezed Gabriel's hand softly before dropping it in order to open the door for him, so they could step inside. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gabriel hadn't stepped foot in a police station since he had been caught painting a dick on the football field for his senior year prank. It was a very different experience to walk in without the handcuffs. The station looked pretty empty exact for the man at reception and the sound of chattering in a back room. </p>
<p>The man at the reception desk looked intimidating at first glance. He was almost as tall as Sam and even through his uniform it was clear he had broad muscles. When his eyes fell on Sam's state his harsch expression turned into a welcoming smile in an instance. </p>
<p>"Can I take your names and ask what I can do for you?" He pointed them towards a registration form. Gabriel hadn't been greeted that friendly when he was brought in, but that was probably by design.</p>
<p>Sam handed Gabriel the pen and paper with a small smile. As Gabriel filled in forms for both of them, Sam informed the man at the desk that they were there to give testimony. </p>
<p>The man showed them to a waiting area, telling them an officer would be with them soon. </p>
<p>The waiting room didn't match Gabriel's recollection of the waiting room at a police station. In his memory it was a fare more gritty, nerve wrecking place. But this was no different from the waitingrooms at a doctors office or a dentist. He had been more scared in the waiting room of the hospital. Then again, he had a genuine reason for fear then. The memory of sitting there alone was unsettling to say the least, and this time he reached out for Sam's hand.  Sam smiled gratefully, like he had wanted the others comfort as well. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>They stayed silent, waiting until an officer came to pick them up. "Mister Winchester, and then you must be mister Novak." They let go of each others hand so they could greet the officer properly. The officer asked if Sam wanted Gabriel in the interrogation room with him and Sam said he would did. The officer lead both of them through a tight hallway and into a room. Gabriel was slightly disappointed that it wasn't like the movies, with the one sided glass and a bright desk lamp. Instead they stepped into a small office and were offered something to drink. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The testimony wasn't that special, and Sam managed to stay stoic thought out. He was again holding onto Gabriel's hand under the table. When the officer asked about their relationship Sam blushed. Gabriel had been told that he could stay if he kept quiet, and he was relieved he didn't have to answer the question. How was he going to explain that technically they were just friend, but about to be business partners. Not dating, but very close and both interested. It wasn't an affair but right after Sam and Ruby broke up, Sam moved in with Gabriel in secret. </p>
<p>Sam seemed to struggle with it as well. He looked at Gabriel before he answered. </p>
<p>"Gabriel is a close friend. When I found out Ruby was cheating on me, I went to his place and he let me stay on his couch. When it became clear that Ruby wasn't going to give up my apartment he allowed me to stay." </p>
<p>"On the couch?" The implication was clear in the tone the officer took. </p>
<p>"No." Sam swallowed. "We went to IKEA to get a spare bed." </p>
<p>"Miss Kristy claims you two were having an affair and are still romantically involved." </p>
<p>"I'm aware, she has been implying that since she met Gabriel. Just as she has with most people I was close with during our relationship." </p>
<p>"And you are saying there is no romantic relationship between you and mister Novak." Her eyebrows quirked, looking at how close the two sat together. Sam squeezed Gabriel's hand softly.</p>
<p>"I am saying that I did not have an affair while being in a relationship with Ruby." </p>
<p>"Are you in a romantic relationship at the moment."  </p>
<p>"No." </p>
<p>"You are not?" </p>
<p>"No." Sam repeated, not deliberating on the statement. "Any further questions?" He seemed annoyed at the insistence, but didn't let go of Gabriel's hand, no matter how suspicious it probably looked. The officer looked a bit uncertain as she continued, now going over the way Ruby had laid claim to Sam's apartment. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The testimony took a hour and a half in total and  Sam looked completely exhausted by the end of it. He still asked what they expected to happen now. Appearently Ruby had made bail, so she was out for now, but the state prosecutors had laid out assault charges. The officer wasn't sure what punishment would be sought, but since it was a first time offence, she suspected it would probably be a fine and mandated anger management. </p>
<p>Sam asked if it would be okay for him to try and get his apartment back, since it had almost been a month since he send the eviction notice and the officer advised him not to face that confrontation himself. Instead she asked him to sign a sort of warrant, allowing the police on his property to evict a squatter. Sam gave Gabriel his phone so he could send the officer proof of his eviction notice and she promised the apartment would be inspected today and any squatters would be taken care of. Sam would be informed afterwards and would receive a new key in the mail. Because Ruby was now seen as a danger, they would make sure the locks were changed so Ruby wouldn't be able to return and endanger Sam. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When they left the police station, Sam was barely holding on to consciousness. The doctors had warned that the medication would make him tired, especially for the first few days. "That went well, right?" Gabriel asked as they walked over to the bus stop. </p>
<p>"I think so." Sam said. "I mean, I'm even getting my apartment back." He yawned slightly.</p>
<p>Gabriel tried not to think about that. Of course he knew Sam would go back to his own place as soon as he could, but he was going to miss living with Sam. The last few weeks made him realize how much he enjoyed having someone with him. Having Sam with him specifically. </p>
<p>"Right." Gabriel smiled. "You know, maybe with the whole injury and everything, it's best you don't live alone right now?" It wasn't an excuse, but he was happy to use it either way. </p>
<p>Sam smiled. "Yeah I uh, I think that's smart. But I do think it's best if I go back to the appartment if the police is going to clear it. Otherwise there's not much use to it." </p>
<p>Gabriel sighed, that was a good point. "That's true as well." </p>
<p>"So would you mind?" Sam asked, confusing Gabriel. </p>
<p>"Mind what?" </p>
<p>"Moving in with me for a bit." Sam explained. "You don't have to. But you're right, it's smart to have someone close until I feel a bit better."</p>
<p>Before Gabriel could answer the bus stopped in front of them. As they walked over to two free seats, Sam continued. "I mean, you don't have too, but I quite like the arrangement we have, and I feel like you feel the same." He explained. "You don't have to decide right now, and please don't feel pressured to say yes. I can always work something out." He assured him. </p>
<p>Gabriel smiled at Sam. "Can the cats come?" </p>
<p>"Of course." </p>
<p>"Then yes. You're right, I don't feel like going back to living on my own, and I think that your injury is a pretty good excuse to keep this up for a little longer." He grinned. </p>
<p>Sam put his head on Gabriel's shoulder. "Thank you." He muttered as he closed his eyes. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gabriel didn't waker Sam up until they were at their stop. Sam still looked at exhausted, so as soon as they were home, he helped Sam un the stairs. Beannie hurried past them, already waiting at the door of Sam's room. Sam chuckled as he saw her. "I'm sure it's fine, she hasn't played with the bandages yet." He assured Gabriel. </p>
<p>As soon as the door opened she hopped on Sam's bed, purring contently. As soon as Sam lay down, she settled on his chest, looking triumphantly. Gabriel petter her. "Yeah yeah. You got your way." He laughed. Sam smiled, taking another painkiller before he looked at Gabriel. "Thanks for coming to the station with me. I really don't know how I would be able to handle this all on my own." He admitted. </p>
<p>Gabriel smiled. "You would have." He assured Sam. "But it's more fun like this, don't you think." </p>
<p>Sam smiled. "It really is." </p>
<p> </p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all so much for your patience when I miss an upload. <br/>I get so happy reading your comments and I genuinely feel bad when I don't manage to upload on Wednesdays, so I'm really sorry. Things are a bit rocky so I might be a day late or skip a week in these last few chapters, but I'll try to keep it as consistent as possible.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It took Gabriel a second to realize why there was a police officer knocking on his door the next morning, just after he booted up his laptop. IHis confusion quickly ended when the pieces clicked in his mind. The officer asked Gabriel to identify himself as soon as he opened the door, before asking if Sam Winchester was also present. Gabriel informed him Sam was asleep and asked if he could be of any help instead, but the officer insisted he needed Sam.Although he was slightly annoyed at having to wake Sam, he went upstairs to go get him.</p><p>Sam blinked awake as Gabriel softly touched his shoulder. When he sat up, Gabriel told him there was police at the door that refused to tell Gabriel what they wanted. Sam didn't seem to bothered with the situation or with being woken up. He crawled out from underneath the blankets in just his boxers. Gabriel cursed himself for for once again noting how incredibly hot Sam looked. He was supposed to be his friend, he wasn't supposed to be ogling him. Just because Sam had let him know he was interested in more as well, didn't mean they were there yet. And as long as they weren't, he probably shouldn't be thinking any sinful thoughts when seeing Sam's sleepy form, just because of how comfortable Sam seemed to be with him there.</p><p>Sam didn't seem to notice Gabriel's internal struggle. He simply put on a comfortable shirt and sweatpants as he asked Gabriel how working from home was going. Gabriel forced himself to face Sam as he answered that he had only just started. </p><p>With Charlie and Lucifers permission, Gabriel was now working half days from home, so he could keep an eye on Sam. Sam was convinced Lucifer was only that helpful to avoid getting dragged into the lawsuit, but whatever the reason, Gabriel was glad he could take care of Sam because of it. </p><p>As soon as Sam was down the stairs safely, Gabriel returned to his laptop to work. He was still on the clock and Sam insisted he would be okay to talk to the officer alone. </p><p>Gabriel was only half focused on the complaint that was send in about automated company signatures. His attention kept slipping to the conversation in the hallway he was trying hard to 'accidentally' listen in on.  He could barely hear the officer, but he was able to pick up Sam's voice easily. It didn't tell him much, but at least they calmed his worries a little. It didn't sound like bad news.  Sam didn't say much more than some words of gratitude and a few times "yes" "okay" or "I understand".</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When Sam walked into the living room after the officer left, a key was dangling from the cord he was holding and a wide smile almost hid how tired he still looked after being woken up early. </p><p>The key caught Gabriel's eyes first. When he saw how happy Sam looked, he realized what the visit was about. "They evicted Ruby?" He asked, matching Sam's expression and ignoring the gnawing feeling inside. </p><p>"She's gone." Sam confirmed. His smile faltered for a second as he squinted. "They asked me to move back in today." He added, studying Gabriel's face. </p><p>Gabriel nodded, considering the words. He hoped Sam still wanted him to come with. "Can we go after my shift? I'm only working until one." </p><p>"Of course. I'm going to continue my nap for now and I still need to pack afterwards. So do you I guess, if you still want to come." He said his voice unsure. </p><p>"I told you I wanted to come. We can't have you in that big place all alone." Gabriel grinned, playing it off as a tease. </p><p>"We wouldn't want me to get hurt, again." Sam laughed, but there was a deeper meaning behind those words that made Gabriel look up. Sam had been hurt so many times by others. Gabriel was trying to keep him from getting hurt in more ways than one. And if the time was right, and the dust had settled, he intended to make good on that. He might not be able to keep Sam from being hurt physically, but the pain he knew of being cheated on and being manipulated by his partners. Gabriel could stop that, if Sam still wanted him too. </p><p>Sam seemed to read his mind. The heavy implications Gabriel put behind his teasing words. He stepped closer, his smile softening. "I don't think I will." He assured Gabriel in a soft mutter, putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it. Gabriel returned Sam's smile with his own, covering Sam's hand with his. </p><p>"Not if it's up to me." </p><p>That seemed to be what Sam had wanted to hear. His smile grew again, and there was a warmth in his eyes that took Gabriel by surprise. "You know I'd like for it to be." </p><p>The hand on his shoulder started leaning on Gabriel more heavily until Sam straightened his back, looking apologetic.  The tension in the conversation was replaced by Gabriel's quiet worry. "How about we don't talk about this with Sleep clouding your judgement." He said, removing his hand from Sam's. "Do you need me to help you up the stairs?" </p><p>Sam's face dropped. "I'm sure I can haul myself up there again." </p><p>Gabriel stood up nonetheless. "Maybe we shouldn't test that theory right now." He suggested. It wasn't like he could carry Sam up, and the stairs were certainly not wide enough to walk beside him, but it gave Gabriel some piece of mind to walk behind Sam, making sure he was there to catch the other if he would fall. Once Sam was back in bed, Gabriel returned to his work until Sam came down again at half past one. Gabriel told Charlie and Balthazar he was done for the day before logging off. </p><p> </p><p>They ate lunch quickly before Sam said he'd go back upstairs to pack up his stuff. Everything he owned in Gabriel's house had come in one hurriedly packed suitcase, so it was pretty easy to pack up. Gabriel had a bit more difficulty with packing. He had never been great at planning in advance, and that was pretty much all that packing was. In the end he made sure he had enough clothes for a week and some basic toiletries. If he had missed anything, he could of course always come back later for stuff. He went back to the main floor to find Sam, by now fully dressed with his suitcase already beside him. He looked so different from the last time Sam sat there with a packed suitcase. More bruised, yet he looked like he was doing better.  </p><p>Sam looked at Gabriel with consideration, biting his lip. </p><p>"What is it?" Gabriel asked, seeing Sam wanted to ask something, but the glimmer in his eye had him believe it wasn't something bad. </p><p>"I was thinking... Can't we take your xbox? I mean, there's no use for it in an empty house, right?" Those first weeks that Sam lived with him, he had played on it constantly. It was like he rediscovered a hobby he had forgot about. Of course it hadn't been forgotten, it had been forced out like everything Sam loved that Ruby didn't agree with. </p><p>Gabriel laughed, lifting an eyebrow. "You can barely look at the tv for more than five minutes, but you want to play games?" </p><p>"I can't right now." Sam corrected him. "But that won't last long, I'm already getting better. I'm pretty sure there's a lot more I can do when the cut has healed and I don't have to walk around with these bandages covering my eye. I forgot how much I like gaming, and that way we have something we can do together after I've healed up a little."</p><p>Gabriel's lip quirked. "You want me around after you've healed?" He asked, not completely shocked, but surprised they were talking about it already. </p><p>Sam looked a little guilty. "Only if you're okay with that." </p><p> </p><p>Instead of answering, Gabriel went over to his television to unplug his xbox, packing it up with some games. It was too big of a commitment to promise he'd stay. Of course he wanted to stay longer, but at the moment, Sam was hurt and in need of someone. He didn't want Sam to feel like he couldn't go back on the offer later. "We'll see how you feel then." Gabriel assured him. Sam's smile faltered, although he still looked at Gabriel gratefully. </p><p class="">Gabriel smiled, hoping Sam would mirror him. "I'm going to pack up the cats stuff. Prepare to have your house littered with toys... And litterboxes." Sam smiled a little in response, but Gabriel still felt like the other was studying him. Gabriel broke eyecontact, and Sam took that as his que to get up.</p><p class=""> </p><p class="">Sam helped Gabriel pack up for the cats. Gabriel couldn't help but glance over at him constantly as he bend over to get the food and water bowls It felt weird to call the act a victory, but in a way it was. He remembered that first day after Ruby hit him. Sam was clinging to the couch for support to lean over and pet Beannie without falling over. Sam caught Gabriel staring at him and grinned. His smile was familiar by now and Gabriel smirked as Sam lifted his non covered eyebrow. </p><p class="">"Let me stare at you" Gabriel retorted in a tease to the unspoken question. </p><p class="">Sam chuckled his eye twinkling with amusement. "If you didn't look like you were actively pitying me, I'd think you were checking me out like this." </p><p class="">"I can do two things at once." Gabriel threw back. He hadn't even considered how it must seem, Gabriel's gaze fixated on Sam as he bend over. He couldn't feel ashamed about it, as Sam responded. "I must say I like the latter more than your pity." </p><p class="">"Me too." Gabriel agreed with a wink before he went back to filling a plastic bag with all the toys his cats barely played with. A comfortable silence fell over the room, allowing both of them to smile at the comment without putting too much weight on it. </p><p class="">Once everything was packed and they were ready to go, Gabriel ordered an Uber. There was too much stuff to travel by bus, and even if Sam would be able to drive a car again, his car was still parked at Morningstar Inc.</p><p class=""> </p><p class=""> </p><p>The Uber-ride was a quiet one, with both of them holding one cat carrier and a third one in between them. When they arrived at Sam's building they had to deal with their two suitcases, the box of games, the bag of cat stuff and the three cat carriers they had carried into the hallway.  They brought the cats up first after Sam assured Gabriel his stuff was safe in the halway due to all the security. Sam seemed giddy but nervous on their way up. His knuckles were white with how hard he was gripping the handle of Beannies carrier. When they arrived on Sam's floor, he caught Sam looking around as if he tried to take it all in, but he walked slowly, stretching the moment until he had to walk into the apartment he had loved, even before he met Ruby. But also the place he shared with her. The moment they entered the apartment, Sam was shaking. </p><p>"Are you okay?" Gabriel asked softly, not knowing what else to stay. Sam nodded slightly, staying in the entrance as he looked his appartement over. He was quiet as he took his time to step into the apartment. </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel put the carriers on the floor, carefully making his way over to same to take the carrier with Beannie in it from Sam to put it on the floor as well. Sam barely looked at him as he let go of the handle, instead his eyes were focussed on the horizon through the massive windowed wall. </p><p>Gabriel put a hand on his back in comfort, making Sam suck in a breath. He finally looked at the other. His uncovered eye was watery and Gabriel wasn't sure they were tears of sadness or joy. He gave Sam a reassuring smile and the other smiled back.</p><p>"I almost forgot how much I loved this place. How beautiful it is." He put an arm around Gabriel as his eyes fixed on the endless horizon again. "I thought getting back here would make me feel bad..."</p><p>"But it doesn't?" Gabriel filled in, his voice hopeful. Although the view was beautiful, his eyes were fixed on Sam, half in worry and half in awe.  </p><p>Sam half smile appeared on Sam's face as he thought it over. "It brings back bad memories, of course." He admitted, playing with the hem of Gabriel's short sleeve as he went through the emotions. "The last time I walked through that door, I was storming out suitcase in hand. The last time I saw this view, I didn't know the next time I'd only be able to use one eye." He paused, looking away from the beautiful image of the horizon, and instead facing Gabriel. "But I wouldn't change a thing about what happened. I might have lost a lot, but I gained more... You. It's more than just a silver lining."</p><p>Sam leaned in and the moment was too perfect. Gabriel turned back to look at the view. There was a pit growing in his stomach. He longed to just go for it, but he was to afraid Sam didn't actually want it, want him. Instead he leaned against Sam, putting his head on Sam's shoulder as they stared out the window for a bit longer.  He didn't want to see Sam's expresion as he rejected the clear move Sam tried to make, like he had done on that first night. "That's the medicine talking." Gabriel answered, putting on a playful voice to cover for his nerves.  </p><p>Sam sighed. "It's not." His head fell and Gabriel wasn't sure how to react. He didn't want to reject Sam, but he didn't want him to have to live with regret. It could wait until the fog was cleared. The other slowly stepped away. He stood there for another second before he turned. "Let's get the rest up here." Sam's voice was harder than it had been, and he was already heading towards the door. </p><p>Gabriel smiled softly. "How about you get reacquainted with your bed. You seem tired. I can handle the rest." </p><p>Usually Sam would gladly agree, and Gabriel could see he was at least a little tired. This time however Sam shook his head. "I'm more than capable of helping bring my suitcase up." He said, a slightly defensive tone in his voice that Gabriel just couldn't place. </p><p> </p><p>The elevator ride down was quiet. Gabriel wasn't sure what he had said, but he had said something wrong. Sam might still be upset about Gabriel turning away from him, but he had to understand he did that for Sam. He knew he should probably let it rest for now, but the sudden shift in behaviour caught him off guard. One moment they were both looking over the horizon talking sweetly, the next, Sam looked somewhere between hurt and frustrated and all because Gabriel wanted to protect him. </p><p>Gabriel had never been good with quiet moments, or holding himself back from talking. "What did I do wrong?" He asked as they walked back into the elevator with the rest of their stuff, still not a word said between them. He'd rather get it over with now.</p><p>Sam sighed before he looked at Gabriel. His jaw was set hard and his eyes looked right into Gabriel's. "Why do you keep dismissing me?" The question came from some place deep and it was clear that Sam was trying hard to keep from tearing up. </p><p>"What?" Gabriel had expected a lot, but not that. When had he ever dismissed Sam, he had gladly given Sam his full attention for weeks.</p><p>Sam tried again, his voice softer, but no less determined. "You keep dismissing me. When I tell you how I feel or what I want." </p><p>"I'm not dismissing you." Gabriel squinted. "I listen to everything you say. I ask your input on everything lately." It hadn't bothered him to do so, but it did slightly bother him that Sam didn't see that. </p><p>"Nevermind." Sam let out a huff, leaving Gabriel stunned.</p><p>The elevator stopped and Sam marched out with his suitcase. Gabriel didn't miss the sway in Sam's step. Sam was tired, but it didn't feel like the right time to point that out. Instead he followed Sam into the apartment with the rest of the stuff. </p><p> </p><p>They let the cats out, the silence growing heavier with every passing moment. Gabriel couldn't stop his eyes from wandering over to Sam. Sam seemed to be having the same problem. Whenever their gaze met, Gabriel tried looking away, but when he looked back, Sam was still looking at him. Eventually he sighed. "Okay, when did I dismiss you?" He asked, going over to take a seat on the couch. </p><p>Sam stayed in his position, cross legged on the floor, next to Beannie's travel case, with Beannie lying lazily in his lap, enjoying his petting. </p><p>Sam finally looked away, instead looking at the cat now as he spoke. "You know I like you and you told me it's mutual, that you might want to see where this leads when things are less complicated." </p><p>Gabriel was so not prepared for this talk, he was unsure what Sam wanted to hear. Of course Gabriel wanted Sam, but, with everything going on, how could Sam make a good decision on this stuff, it was better to wait until Sam was in the right headspace. "I do, in time." Gabriel settled on. "I know it's too much now to think about that stuff now." </p><p>"But I <em>do</em> think about it. And so do you, I can see it in the way you're trying to hold back." </p><p>"What do you mean by that?" </p><p>"I've been putting out signs left right and center. I've told you I want to take you out. If you changed your mind about that, that's fine." He took a break, peeking up ag Gabriel before he continued. "but I feel like you're holding back because you don't believe I really want you and there is no other way for me to tell you that I do. Not if you dismiss me every time I tell you, or show you." </p><p>The rawness of Sam's voice caught Gabriel off guard just as much as the words did. He could feel the heat in his face rising and he wasn't sure whether it was embarrassment or frustration. A large weight settled in his stomach as he tried to come up with an explanation beyond confirming what Sam said, because it sounded so stupid. Yet it was exactly the problem. </p><p>"I don't want you to do something you'll regret." Gabriel's words felt heavy. He suddenly missed the comfort his own fluffy old couch, instead of the hard leather couch that was more pretty than practical. He missed his house and the ability to lock himself away and curl up in a ball. That was exactly what he had done mentally, everytime he was faced with the unknown. Sam had opened the door from the start, letting him experience more than the comforts of his familiar place, his known position and the confines of The Cave. He looked at the other, at a loss for words. </p><p>Sam must have seen how hurt Gabriel was, because his hard, frustrated expression softened when their eyes met. </p><p>"You're the one that helped me think for myself, maybe you should trust my judgement." Sam told him, and Gabriel felt relieved to see the beginnings of a smile play on Sam's face. </p><p>Gabriel sighed, but nodded. "Putting it like that really makes me seem like an asshole huh." He grinned. </p><p>Sam's smile widened. "Yeah, it does." He got up, lifting Beannie with him. "And again, if I'm reading this wrong, or you've changed your mind-" </p><p>"I haven't." Gabriel assured him. "I'll stop making it seem like I did." He promised. </p><p>"Thank you." He let out a content sigh. "I don't want to use this to make you agree to a date, but I was kind of hoping you'd be free tonight." </p><p>"You know I'm free tonight." Gabriel answered with a grin. He still felt bad for wanting this while Sam was in such a vulnerable state, but Sam was right, Gabriel had no business deciding what was and wasn't good for Sam. That didn't mean he didn't worry. Sam's energy still drained pretty quickly, especially with a day as busy as this. "Are you okay to go out after a nap? We could just stay in, get some noodles from that place around the corner."  </p><p>"I'd like that. That way we won't leave the apartment or the cat's alone." He smiled, petting Beannie who was slowly trying to climb up on his shoulder. "Are you okay to entertain yourself here for a bit? I think that is a pretty good idea for now."</p><p>When Gabriel said he would be fine, Sam went to his bedroom. Gabriel was glad the whole apartment was on one level, so he didn't have to worry about an exhausted Sam falling down the stairs this time.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Once everything was set up for the cats, Gabriel tried to make himself comfortable in the new place. It was weird, being there while Sam was asleep in another room. He felt almost like he was intruding. His cats, Socks and Mittens were welcome companions, making the place seem more familiar. Beannie was either exploring the bedroom or snoozing next to Sam. </p><p>That was were the familiarity ended. Apart from being with his cats and being near Sam, everything around him felt miles away from his own world. The view through the glass wall was amazing. Gabriel could look over the city while remaining unseen, his vision stretched to the small forest that cornered the town. No matter how stunning it was, Gabriel was more used to being on the ground. The leather couch was cold and hard, and as soon as the cats were settled a bit more, he had to keep them from clawing at it in interest. </p><p>He was used to his own home, small and cramped, with walls thin enough to hear muffled conversations whenever his neighbours had guests over. Although apartments were better known for noise complaints, he guessed that didn't apply for apartments like this. </p><p>He stayed on the couch for a bit, petting his cats as he looked out the window. Eventually, once the world started settling in again, he turned on his laptop and took a seat at the dinner table. He started up the code for their program, at least that was something he knew.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sam returned from his nap as Gabriel was fine tuning a feature. He put both hands on Gabriel's shoulders to look at the code. "Decided to get back to work?" He asked in a still slightly tired voice. "I thought maybe tomorrow I can spend a few hours working on the budget if my head wants to work with me." </p><p>Gabriel shifted to look at him, not expecting him to be as close as he was. If Gabriel just leaned in... But he didn't, if he wanted to go through with this, he wanted to do it right. Maybe if the date went well, that would be a good time.</p><p>"You can see how you're feeling tomorrow. For now, I say we should go get some food." He declared, closing his laptop.</p><p>Sam stepped back so Gabriel could get up.</p><p>"Are you okay to walk to the corner or do you want me to get it?"</p><p>"You know I'm capable of some things right?" Sam asked him, lifting an eyebrow. </p><p>There was a playful tone to it, but it did make Gabriel remember their earlier conversation. "So I'm guessing that means you're coming too?" </p><p>Sam grinned but shook his head. "I just wanted to put out there that I can walk." He teased. "But if you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate it if you could get dinner. I mean, it's probably best to not leave the cats alone." </p><p>There was something to Sam's grin that made Gabriel wonder what he was up to, but he didn't comment, figuring he'd see soon enough. He wasn't sure how this date would differ from their usual dinner together, but he couldn't wait to find out. </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the skipped week, and thanks for all the sweet comments, I feel like I don't tell you enough how much they mean to me.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Being back in the noodle shop made Gabriel think back about that first time had taken him home. The way he looked when he saw the wine glasses on the table, the worry Sam had been pushing aside. Knowing what he knew now, Gabriel couldn't believe he hadn't seen te signs. Now he knew that Sam didn't even like red wine, yet he convinced himself one of those glasses had been his. Of course even if Gabriel had been certain back then about Ruby's infidelity, his relationship with Sam was still brand new and mainly professional. He couldn't just accuse his girlfriend of cheating, it hadn't been his place to comment on that in the first place. With how far Ruby had messed with Sam's mind, he would have surely called off the whole thing if Gabriel even dared to hint at anything. </p><p>He glanced at the key Sam gave him before he left. A warm feeling spread through him as he ran his thumb over the edge of the key. Sam still had Gabriel's spare on his keyring as well. Although they skipped a few steps before moving in together, Gabriel couldn't wait to catch up on them, starting tonight. </p><p> </p><p>As he walked back to the building he was now suddenly living in, at least temporarily, he realized how unlikely this had all seemed a few months ago. And now he was on his way to a date with the 'definitely straight', ridiculously good looking manager he was going to start a business with and with whom he just moved in. Gabriel laughed at the thought, still slightly smirking to himself as he went up to Sam's apartment. </p><p> </p><p>When he opened the door, his smirk disappeared. Instead his mouth fell slightly open and his eyes grew big. The lights in the apartment were dimmed and the curtain was drawn over the glass wall, most of the light coming from the candles Sam had placed around the whole apartment. The large tv display an image of a lit fireplace, with the sound of wood charring slightly audible over the soft instrumental background music. Sam turned to look at him with a half smile, before sucking in lis lower lip as he studied Gabriel's reaction. </p><p>"I went a bit overboard, didn't I?" He asked. He swallowed hard as he waited for an answer, his eyes never leaving Gabriel's face. </p><p>Gabriel closed his mouth, his eyes still big and his heart beating wildly. "You did all of this for me?" He asked in disbelief as his eyes traveled around the room, taking in the romantic cozy atmosphere Sam had created. Of course Gabriel had dated before, but no one had ever put in that much effort into impressing him. It was made even more special by Sam knowing that he didn't need to put in all that effort. Gabriel liked him already and Sam was well aware of that. And he still did all of this. "It's amazing." Gabriel told him in a voice that sounded more emotional than he had planned. </p><p>Sam let out the breath he had apparently been holding in. A genuine, but still slightly embarrassed smile on his face now. "When I was finished and looked around, I realized it was a bit much. I just really wanted to make it different from our dinners so far. I put the cats in the bedroom for now with all the open flames." </p><p>Gabriel grinned, still amazed as he made his way over to the table. The plastic bag and take-out containers looked completely out of place, but the mixed scenery suited them. Sam went the extra step, pulling out Gabriel's chair when he went to sit down. "You're quite the gentleman aren't you." Gabriel teased.</p><p>Sam chuckled, finally looking a bit more relaxed. "When I want to be."</p><p> </p><p>They emptied the noodles on plates and Sam got up to throw the containers out. </p><p>"Come on, sit." Gabriel urged, already sliding his chair back. "I can do that, you've already put all this effort in."  He didn't want Sam to be on his feet for to long, but one look told him Sam disagreed.</p><p>"You've been taking care of me so much lately. Let me take care of you tonight." He offered. Before Gabriel could respond, he quickly added. "If it gets too much I'll tell you, I promise. But this is just throwing something in the trash." He was back at the table before he finished his sentence. He looked at Gabriel with a satisfied smile.</p><p>Gabriel smiled apologetically. "Thank you." He answered, instead of arguing. He was very protective of Sam especially with the emotional and physical toll a day like today could take. But he trusted Sam to keep his promise and tell Gabriel if it became too much. Gabriel still found it hard to believe Sam went through all this trouble for him and apparently planned on taking care of him for the rest of their date as well. It would be hard to sit back as Sam took care of things, but it might help cool down a little of his over protectiveness. </p><p>"No, thank you." Sam insisted in a soft voice. "I don't think you understand how much your support has meant to me. I mean," He huffed out a laugh. "I just showed up at your door unannounced with a suitcase and a sob story and you've been there for me ever since.You know... I thought about leaving her for so long, but I couldn't because I'd be completely alone and I was so dependent on her. I uh." Sam looked down, fiddling with his chopsticks. "Even before everything happened with those text, you gave me the confidence to think about myself first for once. I knew I didn't love Ruby anymore, but she was all I had left and I think I was trained to think about her opinion only... But then I caught myself thinking about you more and more and I realized I had been stopping myself from even thinking about things that made me happy. But with you that just wasn't possible. I couldn't just stop thinking about you." A short chuckle escaped him. "This sounds like I show up at your house for all the wrong reasons. In my defence, I really did plan to go to a hotel that night. I still don't know how I ended up at your door. I think I just needed to go to you because you were the only person I could think about that I trusted, the only person I wanted to talk to. So without realizing I drove to your house.. And then... The rest you know." He shrugged, finally looking at Gabriel again. His eye was read, a tear running down his cheek, but he was smiling as he wiped it away.</p><p> </p><p>Gabriel didn't know where to look after that revelation. He never realized Sam saw him as anything except for maybe a work friend before Sam moved in with him. To think Sam had feelings for him all this time. He thought back about when Sam tried to kiss him and realized it hadn't been some desperate attempt at physical affection from anyone. It was a genuine want to kiss Gabriel. Their conversation from that afternoon played in his head again. <em>'I've been putting out signs left right and center'. </em>Gabriel really was blind when he wanted to be. </p><p>He smiled at Sam. "I really don't know what I did to earn that trust, or a place in your thoughts, but I'm glad that you came to me." Gabriel admitted. He wasn't as good with words as Sam was. His words sounded more practiced, like he had thought about how to convey those feelings for a longer time. "I hope you know you helped me too. With you know," He thought about how to put it without sounding like a complete idiot, but gave up on that thought half way through. If Sam could be honest and open, so could Gabriel. "I never thought too highly about myself. I know I come off at least somewhat confident, but that's mainly because I usually speak before I think." Sam chuckled at that, recognizing Gabriel in the statement. "But you made me feel like I mattered, because I seemed to matter according to someone as amazing as you. I never imagined feeling so close to someone so fast, but I've always felt happier around you." </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel's confession hadn't been as long or as thought out as Sam's, but he could still see the other smile brightly at him. It brought a smile to Gabriel's face as well. "Pretty good topic for a first date." Gabriel grinned, taking some of the weight out of the conversation without changing the subject. He wished they weren't on opposite sides of a table, so he could touch Sam's face or hold his hand. After that confession he felt a strong urge to get closer to him. </p><p>Sam chuckled warmly. "I just needed you to know." He took a small sip of his water as the conversation fell into a comfortable silence. They let the silence linger for a little as they ate, stealing glances and smiles. </p><p>Sam was the one that started the conversation up again after looking around the room. "I was thinking, maybe when I get a bit of energy back, we can go furniture shopping this weekend?" </p><p>Gabriel smiled surprised. "Do you want to redecorate?" </p><p>"Almost everything in here was chosen by Ruby. I'd like to see what we can come up with." </p><p>Gabriel vaguely remembered Sam mentioning something like that some time ago. He hadn't expected Sam to want to get rid of it all so fast. Then again, it was probably all serving as a reminder of a past life he most likely wanted to forget. </p><p>Sam sighed as he shook his head. "Okay, let's agree that was the last time I mention her. I mean, this might have all started with her in the picture, but I don't want to focus on the past tonight. This is our night and she has no place in that." </p><p>To help the conversation along, Gabriel asked Sam about what sort of furniture he wanted. They talked a bit about how he wanted to section the room and what sort of color pallet he wanted. With Sam's enthusiasm, it was even more of a surprise he had barely had a say in the interior of his own apartment. Gabriel tried to move past that thought. Sam was right, this was their night and they shouldn't focus on the pain of the past. Instead of dwelling in how bad it had been, he focussed on how happy and enthusiastic Sam was now. </p><p>He rested his head in his hands, drowning in Sam's smile and gestures as his date explained how they could make a little work area as well. </p><p>"I was also thinking about maybe installing a climbing wall for the cats." He added, using a chopstick to move the remains of his food around on the plate. </p><p>Gabriel looked at him a bit unsure, spurring him on to continue. </p><p>"I used to have this friend, Donna. She made all sorts mountable cat furniture in her shed as a hobby. Little draw bridges and hanging scratching poles. I'm not sure if she still does woodworking, but I figured maybe I could give her a call and ask if I can comision her if she wants to meet again." </p><p>"That sounds amazing." He stopped himself before asking why they had lost contact. He knew the answer already and it wasn't something they were going to talk about tonight. "I'm sure the cat's will love that."</p><p class="">"Especially Beannie, since she loves to climb." Sam agreed, regaining his enthusiasm. "I should probably let them out of the bedroom now that we're talking about it." He blew out most of the candles to make sure the cats wouldn't hurt themselves or drop them from the table, burning the house down. Mittens and Beannie entered the living room instantly while Socks stayed behind, lazily watching the open door. The lights were still dimmed and the room was now mainly lit by the fireplace display and the few remaining candles that were in safer spaces. </p><p>Sam put the dishes in the dishwasher, only shooting Gabriel a disapproving look when he tried to get up and help. When he was finished, Sam got behind Gabriel's chair, pulling it out for him. "I want to show you one of my favorite things about the apartment."</p><p> </p><p>Gabriel followed Sam to over to the couch before sitting down next to him. Sam grabbed a remote from the table and after pressing a button, the curtains pulled back, revealing the warm red glow of the sky right before sunset. Sam wrapped an arm around Gabriel and pulled him in closer. Gabriel nuzzled into Sam's chest, as he looked at the view. "It's beautiful." Gabriel had to admit as he reached out for Sam's free hand, linking their fingers. </p><p>No words were needed as they watched the sunset, completely intertwined. Gabriel had never felt this loved or this happy in his life. He wasn't sure how long it took for the sun to actually set and for the dimmed red light to fade, until it was dark. He watched the scene from the comfort of Sam's arms. When the light had faded, he looked up. Before he even thought about what he was doing he reached out. A hand went up to Sam's cheek, cupping it slightly as he looked into the others eyes. As he leaned in, his eyes closed and his heart sped up. </p><p> </p><p>Their kiss was brief at first. A slight touch of lips, gone as soon as it came. He first wanted to look at Sam, to make sure this was real. To make sure he was actually allowed this happiness. When he opened his eyes, Sam was smiling at him, soft and sweet and everything he knew Sam was. Gabriel smiled as well before leaning back in for a second kiss, and a third after that. </p><p>God he had wanted this, had wanted Sam, for so long and now, it was perfect. Sam's fingers moved through his hair, he pulled Sam closer by his waist. They needed to be close so badly, after having resisted that need for so long. When they finally pulled back, Sam looked Gabriel over with a smile. "God, how did I ever get this lucky." The words weren't more than a mutter, but it was more than enough to make Gabriel's heart flutter.</p><p>He smiled, the back of his hand softly stroking Sam's cheek. "I should be the one asking myself that."</p><p>Sam grinned before kissing Gabriel again, and as an after though, Gabriel agreed that there was no use in arguing about who wanted this more.  </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel felt like they spend hours just like that, but it also felt like no time had passed at all. Slowly the kisses turned more lazy and long, with moments in between where he was just just free to stare at Sam and take him in. Take it all in. Sam seemed tired as the night carried on, but unwilling to admit it and get up. Gabriel grinned, pecking his lips again. "Is it okay if I stay in your bed tonight?" He asked, hoping Sam would be okay to go to sleep, knowing Gabriel would come with him.</p><p>Sam looked grateful. He planted a last kiss on Gabriel's lips before he forced himself to let go so he could get up. "More than okay." He assured him before he took Gabriel's hand and led him to the bedroom. Once they stepped into the room, they started undressing each other. They weren't rushing into anything more but continued their long kisses and soft caressing. Once they fell into the bed, Gabriel turned to Sam. "Thank you for an amazing first date." He muttered, his arms instantly wrapped around the other. </p><p>Sam kissed the top of his head, snuggling in closer. "I'm glad you liked it." He muttered before pulling the blanket over both of them. </p><p>Gabriel was wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, safety and the smell of Sam. He didn't know what it was that he had done to deserve this, but he was going to hold on to this happiness and cherish every moment of it. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A loud alarm pulled Gabriel from his sleep. The noise came from his phone, which he quickly realized wasn't on the nightstand beside him. Of course they hadn't thought about things like that. They had thrown most of their clothes haphazardly across the floor as they stripped each other down to their boxers before falling on bed together. Gabriel smiled, it was so worth the hassle of trying to make out which pile of fabric was actually the jeans he had been wearing.</p><p>Luckily the noise helped. His pants had ended up right next to the bed, so he didn't even have to leave the warmth of Sam's bed completely to turn his phone off. Sam let out a noise of protest as Gabriel rolled out of his embrace so he could lean over the side bed. He quickly grabbed his phone, turning off the intruding noise.</p><p>As soon as the alarm stopped, Sam pulled at Gabriel's hip, goading him to return to his place in Sam's arms. Gabriel grinned, more than happy to give in to the request. When he returned to his previous spot, he was greeted by two arms wrapping around him. "Good morning." Sam muttered in a sleepy voice before planting a quick kiss on Gabriel's lips.</p><p>"Very good." Gabriel agreed with a tease as he started playing with his lover's hair absentmindedly.</p><p>"Do you have to get up for work right now?"</p><p>"I can stay for another ten minutes." Gabriel offered, wrapping himself around Sam. If it was up to him, they'd stay in bed all day just like this, but he was fairly sure Charlie wouldn't see 'wanting to cuddle' as a compelling reason to reward any more emergency leave.</p><p>Sam smiled at Gabriel's offer, kissing the top of his head as he pulled the other tighter. "Good."</p><p>Ten minutes easily turned into half an hour of cuddling up together, still half asleep. It was Sam who eventually mentioned that it might be best to get up. Gabriel still had to build a small set up for work and Sam insisted he didn't want to be the reason Gabriel was late.</p><p>As soon as Gabriel threw back the covers the cold hit him and he had to fight not to just pull them back up and stay in bed with Sam. He forced himself out of the bed, followed by Sam who seemed just as displeased to get away from Gabriel.</p><p> </p><p>When they were both dressed and ready Sam made breakfast as Gabriel set up at the far end of the dinner table. He was very grateful that he was only working half days this week. The initial thought had been to take care of Sam, but now it was mainly to spend time with him. They ate breakfast together in a hurry as Sam told Gabriel he wanted to try working on their proposal a little before lunch. Something in Gabriel wanted to protest. He was still very protective of Sam and he didn't want the other to over-exert himself, but he also knew Sam was doing better already and he didn't seem to have a problem knowing his limits. He just smiled and nodded along as Sam explained his ideas. He didn't want the other to feel like Gabriel didn't trust him.</p><p>It was a nice surprise to see how well Sam was doing. Gabriel couldn't help but look over at him every so often. He was either very focussed on work, or already staring at Gabriel at well. About two hours in, the strain on his eyes was to overpowering. He closed his laptop with a satisfied sigh.</p><p>"Done?"</p><p>"I think that's about it for today." Sam agreed. "I'm going to lie down for a little if you don't mind."</p><p>"I only mind having to stay here." Gabriel answered with a grin.</p><p>Sam chuckled as he made his way over. He kissed Gabriel's cheek and ran a hand through his hair before he headed to the bedroom. A little smile Gabriel couldn't suppress was painted on his face at the casual way Sam showed his love. It kept his spirits up for the rest of the morning. He didn't really mind the entitled way everyone thought thought their own ticket was a top priority, nor the complaints people unloaded upon him about things he couldn't help. They could throw insults at him all day, but his smile didn't waver.</p><p>Sam returned from the bedroom an hour or so later, again greeting Gabriel with a kiss before he lay down on the couch to listen to a podcast. They kept glancing over at each other and smiling as Gabriel finished his last hour of work. The moment Gabriel closed his laptop, Sam took out his earbuds and got up. "I hope you don't mind, but I ordered in lunch today." </p><p>Gabriel lifted his eyebrow. When the police escorted Ruby out of the apartment she had taken most of her personal belongings, but she hadn't raided the fridge out of pettiness or anything like that. Gabriel expected Sam to be excited about making a salad or smoothie or something with all the wholesale organic fruits and vegetables his fridge was stocked with. It wasn't because it was Ruby's food, because he had no trouble using that to make the two of them breakfast.</p><p>Sam just grinned not answering his silent question. "It'll be here in five." He continued as he checked his phone.</p><p>"What did you order?" Gabriel tried. But asking the question out loud didn't help.</p><p>Sam shrugged. "You'll see." He teased as he made his way over. "How was work?"</p><p>"Boring."</p><p>Sam stopped right in front of him and pecked his lips, making Gabriel smile before returning the kiss.</p><p>"At least I had something nice to think off. What about you? Did you get anywhere with the proposal?"</p><p>A tiny shrug followed. "I got some work done, but it was mainly getting back into it." He admitted, looping his arms around Gabriel. "Besides someone kept distracting me."</p><p>"Don't try to blame this on me. I was quiet."</p><p>"You were still looking cute." Sam countered, kissing him again.</p><p>Gabriel hadn't expected Sam to become so loving after that first date. With other guys he'd probably classify the behaviour as clingy, but with Sam he didn't mind. Both of them held back for so long, how could he resist having Sam there, acting as loving as he was. He kissed him back, wrapping his arms around Sam as well. "You're a sap you know." He grinned before planting another kiss on his lips.</p><p>"Tell me if I get to bad." Sam asked between kisses.</p><p>They were interrupted by the sound of the buzzer. Sam pecked Gabriel's lips one last time before walking to the intercom. "I'll be right down." He told the delivery guy before telling Gabriel he'd be right back.</p><p>Gabriel used the time to fill the cat bowls. His eyes were constantly darting towards the door as he wondered just what Sam had ordered.</p><p>He didn't have to wait long. Sam returned quickly with two brown bags. On them was a logo Gabriel didn't recognize. All he was able to tell was how pleased Sam was with himself. When he pulled out the containers Gabriel understood. He had ordered a lunch that was completely tailored to Gabriel. There were two containers with crepes. One was filled with mozzarella, tomato and pesto. Gabriel assumed Sam ordered that one for himself. The other was filled with Nutella, caramel and pieces of banana. Gabriel's eyes lit up. He already made peace with eating nothing but rabbit food during his stay with Sam, but apparently Sam was hard set on making Gabriel feel more at home. The second brown bag contained cookie dough and ice cream for both of them.</p><p>When Gabriel looked up, he saw Sam staring at him again. He hooked Sam's chin between his fingers, pulling him in for a kiss. "You're amazing." He told Sam, seeing his smile grow. He playfully added. "But you're still a big sap."</p><p>After putting the icecream in the freezer for later they sat down to eat. After his first bite, Gabriel exclaimed how good the food was. Sam smiled widely, making Gabriel's heart beat faster. It was sweet to see how much Sam cared and wanted to see him happy, and Gabriel felt the same. Al he wanted was for Sam to feel good. Since he was paying attention to Sam's mood, he realized the other kept plucking at his shirt and biting his lower lip. He was nervous about something. </p><p> </p><p>Just when Gabriel wanted to ask him what was going on, Sam spoke. "I've been thinking. Remember that friend I told you about, Donna?" He didn't look at Gabriel as he asked.</p><p>"Right, the one that makes cat furniture?"</p><p>Sam nodded as he pulled at his sleeve. "Like I said. I figured I could maybe give her a call or send her a text or something. You know, get back into contact."</p><p>It wasn't hard to pick up on Sam's nervous habits. He didn't seem all that comfortable with the idea, but he clearly wanted to rekindle his old friendships. Maybe he just needed a little encouragement. "Sounds like a good idea. If you want, I can leave when she comes by. I can imagine the two of you would like some time alone together."</p><p> </p><p>He said something wrong. It was clear by the way Sam's eyes grew wide as he clutched his fork. "It's not like that, I promise. You can be there if you want."</p><p>It took a second for Gabriel to realize what had just happened. The blood drained from his face as he saw Sam look at him like he had probably looked at Ruby often enough. "I didn't mean to imply anything. I just meant it might be easier to talk if I wasn't there.</p><p>Sam swallowed hard as the fear in his eyes were overshadowed by shame. He was shaking ever so slightly as he silently realized that it had been his mind jumping to conclusions.</p><p>It broke Gabriel to think Sam saw him like that, but he knew the other couldn't help it. He made his way over to the other side of the table. Although Sam's eyes were casted downwared, Gabriel knew he was being watched with every step he took. Once he was next to Sam, he placed a small kiss on the top of his head. "You are free to see whoever you want to see and free to do whatever you want. Okay?"</p><p>Two strong arms wrapped around him as Sam burried his face in Gabriel's chest. The sob that escaped Sam was enough to break Gabriel's heart all over again. He held on tight to him, hoping to get the point across. "I'm not going to control you, Sam. I want you to meet your friends and have fun. With me and without me, however you want."</p><p>Sam sucked in a breath before looking up. Gabriel had only seen him this distressed once. That first night after he broke up with Ruby. He wiped a tear from Sam's cheek with a thumb. They looked at each other for a second longer before Sam choked out "I'm sorry."</p><p>"I understand." Gabriel promised, rubbing Sam's back as the other sobbed into his shirt again. Gabriel wondered if he should have been more careful with his words, but his offer had been genuine. He had no idea that Ruby had used lines like that to make Sam feel guilty for seeing his friends alone. He couldn't help but wonder if it had been a mistake to get together this quickly. The idea of being in a relationship was obviously still something that was linked to fear and manipulation for Sam. Even though it was just one date, it had changed more between them than Gabriel anticipated.  After a few more moments he pulled back to look at Sam again. Sam didn't meet his eyes this time. </p><p> "You wanna talk about it?" Gabriel offered in a careful voice, unsure how to handle the situation.</p><p>Sam sighed, he fidgeted with his shirt as he tried coming up with an answer. Just when Gabriel was about to speak again Sam started talking. "I shouldn't have thought you meant it like that." He let out, finally looking into Gabriel's eyes. He looked scared, but not about Gabriel's reaction. "I thought I had grown passed this, but..." A deep sigh left him. "It takes some getting used to."</p><p>How could he respond to something like that. Something had shifted between them. Something big. Maybe it would have been best to take some distance after this, but Gabriel didn't want that. Not only because he just did not want to stay away from Sam. He also didn't want Sam to feel like he was rejecting him over this. "We'll get through this." He said after some time, still holding Sam. "I'm not going to leave if you don't want me to and I'm never going to stop you from spending time with your friends or from doing what you want. But if you feel like I am, I want you to tell me, okay?" He asked, hoping that it didn't sound to commanding. He needed to know how Sam was feeling if he wanted to help him, but he didn't want Sam to feel like he had to share things he didn't want to share.</p><p>Sam nodded softly. He took a deep breath before he looked up at Gabriel again. "I'd really like to see her one on one again first." His voice was more steady. It was a forced steadiness, but it reminded Gabriel more of the Sam he knew.</p><p>He smiled, feeling the same kind of pride he felt when he saw Sam getting up by him himself the first time after he got back from the hospital. He was healing. "Good. Just tell me when she'll be here and I'll make sure I have something planned." He promised.</p><p>Sam smiled, although his eyes didn't match the picture fully. "Thank you." He bit his lip. "Donna has been through something similar. I think she'll be the most understanding." He explained.</p><p>Gabriel nodded, not wanting to interrupt Sam.</p><p>"It wasn't the same exactly." He admitted. "Her ex was more blatant about it, making fun of her weight with her right next to him. When she pulled me aside and suggested what Ruby was doing to me was similar to what she had been through, I didn't believe her."</p><p>Gabriel nodded, he could understand that. If Ruby had spend that first meeting talking about how Sam was dumb for pursuing the project, alarms would have definitely started ringing in Gabriel's head. But Ruby had instead been trying to control and belittle him in a way that might be construed as caring. She had blurred the lines between romantic and toxic, and Gabriel was going to have to tread lightly if he wanted to avoid his care feeling like her control.</p><p>They stayed like that for a little longer, with Gabriel holding Sam, who was still sitting. Eventually Gabriel pulled back once Sam seemed a little more calm. "How are you feeling?"</p><p>"Better." Sam answered in a soft voice. He did his best to smile and took out his phone, presumably to text Donna. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel got out the ice cream and cookie dough. "How about we finish this on the couch?" He offered. </p><p>"Sounds like a plan." Sam said, clapping his hands together as he got up. Gabriel was a bit confused by the sudden change. Sam suddenly seemed completely in control and comfortable again and even Gabriel wasn't sure if it was a facade or not. </p><p>Sam followed <br/>Gabriel to the couch, snuggling up to him as soon as they sat down. No matter how much Gabriel liked to have Sam close, it reminded him of how much simpler that was when they hadn't had that first date. They'd been close before, but now that it had a label, it also carried a weight. But he was willing to work to make it more bearable for Sam to be in a relationship again. Even if they didn't last, he'd show Sam that being with someone didn't mean being controled, it meant being loved.</p><p>He wrapped an arm around the other, holding him close as they ate their dessert and silently stared at the horizon. Suddenly Sam's voice went off and he grabbed for it. The smile on Sam's facemade Gabriel happy as well. "She's coming by this saturday, is that okay?" </p><p>Gabriel smiled as well. "It's perfect." He assured him. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm so sorry this took me a few weeks. With the holidays, some private stuff and work I really exhausted myself up to a point where I hated everything I wrote, if I could get myself to write at all.<br/>I'm doing better, so I felt up for publishing again.<br/>If all goes well, updates will now be steady up until the twenty-second chapter, which will conclude everything.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was nearly half past one. In fact, it was three minutes closer to half past one than it had been the last time Sam eyed the little clock that perched on the table beside the couch. Gabriel had to leave in a few minutes if he didn't want to miss his bus. After talking about it for a bit, both he and Sam agreed it would be best for Gabriel to leave before Donna arrived. It was about Sam reconnecting with an old friend and that should be the main focus. Having Gabriel there as well, even just at the start would take away from that. </p><p>That didn't mean Gabriel didn't feel bad about leaving Sam to wait for her alone. To ease the situation, Gabriel took the decorative pillow Sam was projecting his stress on away from him. One side of the pillow was still completely intact, the black velvet gloss reflecting warm light. The other side was littered with spots of thinning fabric, dull and worn. Most of the spots looked older, but Sam had carved out a new mark. </p><p>Now that Sam no longer had the fabric of the pillow to pull and stretch, he moved to tug on his sleeve instead. Although Gabriel wished Sam's nerves would calm down, there was something endearing about seeing how much Sam cared about seeing an old friend. Before Sam's shirt could fall victim to his nervous habit any further, Gabriel grabbed both of the others hands in his. Sam's eyes fell on him through a cover of lashes, his face still hanging low. </p><p>Gabriel squeezed Sam's hand slightly, shooting him a smile. "It's going to be fine." He was sure of it. If Donna didn't want to reconnect, she wouldn't have agreed to come over.  </p><p>A smile formed on Sam's face. "I'm just nervous. I'm sure it'll go well." He looked away to check the time again. "You should get going. I don't want you to be late."</p><p>Before Gabriel let go of Sam's hands, he kissed the back of both, hoping to ease his nerves a bit. "I'll be back around six." He promised as he let go of the others hands. After placing a quick peck on Sam's lips as well he made his way over to the bus stop. </p><p> </p><p>It wasn't until Gabriel stepped onto the bus that he realized he was expecting Sam to be behind him. As he turned to make sure Sam was okay, just to see the doors close with no one there, it hit him how long it had been since he'd done anything without the other. Apart from work and sleep, every moment they spend was spend together. The idea of constantly being that close to someone would have usually felt suffocating a month or two ago. But with Sam, Gabriel barely realize how much time they had shared together and he didn't feel bad looking back on it. It hadn't been suffocating at all, he never felt like he had to change his behavior for Sam or keep up an act of someone he was not. </p><p> </p><p>Conveniently, there was a bus stop right across from Charlie's home. As soon as the bus drove off, Charlie opened her front door. Through the large window into her living room, Gabriel could already see Balth lounging on the couch with a bag of chips next to him. </p><p>Charlie walked out of the doorway and onto the sideway to greet Gabriel with a hug. Outside of work, all the barely held formalities dropped. It was a comfort to just be with friends again. "Do you miss us yet now that you're working from home?" She asked in the hug, her grin evident in the tone of her voice.</p><p>With a chuckle, Gabriel pulled back from the hug. "I'm supposed to say yes, aren't I?" </p><p>"You are." </p><p>"Okay, then yes." It wasn't a lie. Although he liked working across from Sam, he missed his friends. Mainly outside of the office. Since he was going to loose all work related contact with his friends, he hoped they could start gaming together again, like they used to do most evenings before everything changed. This was a good start. </p><p> </p><p>After a chuckle, Charlie gestured for him to come inside. She walked into the kitchen as Gabriel already made his way over to the living room. The familiar smell of the cinnamon candles Charlie loved almost masked that of the fryer she kept in the backroom. A growl escaped Gabriel's stomach, loud enough to make Balthazar laugh before even greeting him.  "Doesn't Sam feed you?"</p><p>"Not enough." With a grin. "And nothing deep-fried." Gabriel removed the R2-D2 plushie from the lounge chair on the window side of the living room, which he had deemed to be his some time ago. Before he could say anything else, Charlie walked into the room, holding a can of vanilla coke for Gabriel. "I put some snacks in." She informed the boys as she made her way over to her spot on the couch next to Balthazar. </p><p> </p><p>"How about we start with the obvious." At Charlie's suggestion, both her and Balthazar's eyes were on Gabriel. "How is he doing?" </p><p>"I'm not sure." Gabriel had dreaded the conversation ever since they made plans to hang out, but now that he was here he was grateful he had the opportunity to talk about everything that happened. Because he knew it was bound to come up, he already asked Sam how much he was allowed to tell them. As long as as friends would keep it to themselves, Sam had assured Gabriel he was free to tell them everything. "He's recovering from the skull fracture pretty quickly, but that's the least of my worries." </p><p>Charlie nodded, chewing on her lower lip. "What are you worried about?"</p><p>Beside her, Balthazar's attention was on Gabriel, but he avoided directly meeting his eyes. </p><p>"Sam's been through a lot, not just these past few weeks. It's scary when you see how much Ruby has messed with his mind. Now that we moved into their old apartment, he's trying to pick up his old life which is good. But I think it's going to be a while before he stops feeling like everything he does is a mistake." </p><p>"Is it that bad?" Balthazar's voice was a little more gruff. His usual air of playfulness making way for genuine worry. </p><p>"We'll get through it." Gabriel assured them. </p><p> </p><p>After a small pause, the words were sinking in. Charlie furrowed her brow. "So you moved in with him? Just for now or..." </p><p>She let the question trail off, waiting for Gabriel to fill in the rest. </p><p>"I don't know that either. It started off as a necessity because of the eye and the medicine he's under, but-" He only realized it as the words formed in his head. "Sam does plan to ask a friend of his to turn one of the walls into a climbing wall for the cats. Doesn't seem like something he'd do if he wanted me and the cats to leave again." It was weird, how it hadn't even crossed his mind when Sam mentioned it. "I think I'm okay with that." He added. </p><p>Charlie smiled warmly. "So... Does that mean you're together or are you still dancing around that whole thing between you." </p><p>"We got together." It felt good to say it out loud and he was unable to keep himself from smiling. "The evening we moved in, he asked me on a date... Sort of." He told them about the candles Sam had lit when Gabriel was getting food and how they watched the sunset together. </p><p> </p><p>An alarm went of, just as he was finishing up the story. Charlie leaped up to make her way over to the back room.  She promised to be right back on her way out of the living room, leaving Balthazar and Gabriel behind. </p><p>Balthazar looked at Gabriel, as if he was waiting for something. After a few moments a small smile formed on his lips. "I really am glad you and Sam are doing well. Disgustingly well even." Gabriel was glad Balthazar made a joke to break the tension. He had never seen the other that tense. It took him a little pause to find the words he wanted to say. "I hope that what happened with Sam and Lucifer doesn't cause any tension between the two of us?" </p><p>Gabriel hadn't even considered that it could. "Did you know about Lucifer and Ruby?" Now that Balthazar brought it up, Gabriel wanted to know. Had his friend been okay with Sam getting hurt like that, even though he knew how much Sam meant to Gabriel. </p><p>"Not until you told me you saw Luci at their apartment. He isn't one for taking work related meetings outside of the office or a restaurant." A warm smile spread across Balthazar's face, disrupted by the sound of the living room </p><p>A part of Gabriel wanted to be angry that Balthazar hadn't told him that Friday, but how could he without revealing a relationship he had been keeping secret for almost three years. With Charlie entering, Gabriel expected it to be the end of their little heart to heart, but a devious grin spread over Balthazar's face. "So when Luci and I were in bed that evening," He continued, looking right at Charlie to acknowledge her presence. He raised an eyebrow as an unspoken challenge before turning back to Gabriel to finish talking. "I asked him to stop sleeping with her." </p><p> </p><p>After looking lost for a second, Charlie's eyes grew large as she was pinned in place by shock. "You and Lucifer...?" </p><p>"Oh give it up." Balthazar rolled his eyes, smirking from ear to ear. "How long were you planning to keep pretending you don't know." </p><p class=""> </p><p class="">Charlie's surprised look turned into a mix of annoyance and amusement as she walked over and put the bowl of snacks on the coffee table. "You knew I knew?" She sounded almost impressed.</p><p>"Yeah, because you're not dumb and neither am I." He pointed out. "But it was fun, seeing you pretend to be clueless about my 'mystery guy'." As soon as he dropped the air quotes, he went right for the snacks. "Besides, as long as you kept pretending, at least you weren't scolding me for going up to help Luci fix his computer for the third time that day." </p><p>With a shake of her head, she disregarded Balthazar playing her for that long. A smirk spread over her face. "So you mean I can scold you for it now?" </p><p>"You can try. But you know, I am sleeping with the boss." He grinned, popping a meatball in his mouth. "I don't know if you want to get mad at him as well." </p><p>"You're terrible you know." Charlie huffed in a laugh.  </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel chuckled along. Of course Charlie already figured it out. She had always been good at sensing things like that. That wasn't the surprising bit. "Wait, did Lucifer actually listen to you?" </p><p>"Of course." Balthazar's face scrunched into a frown. "Why wouldn't he?" </p><p>"Because he's lucifer... He doesn't really seem like someone that takes orders." </p><p>"Orders." Balthazar repeated stretching out the word. His veil of nonchalance letting up ever so slightly. "Did Sam order you to move in with him?" </p><p>Gabriel wasn't sure what him moving in with Sam had to do with it. "What?" </p><p> </p><p>Charlie seemed as lost as Gabriel was, but Balthazar barely noticed. All his attention was focused on Gabriel with a steel glare. "I asked if Sam <em>ordered </em>you to live with him. Or did he ask, like you do in relationships?" He clarified. </p><p>"He asked?" Gabriel answered dumbfounded. </p><p>Balthazar nodded, his eyes narrowing in on Gabriel. "Because that's how it works. So I didn't need to<em> order </em>Lucifer to stop doing something that made me uncomfortable. I asked him." With a shake of his head he let up the frown. " Just because we don't adhere to your standard of moving in after a day and probably getting married within the month, doesn't mean he doesn't respect my boundaries. When I told Luci I was uncomfortable with him and Ruby, he called her at once to tell her it was done." There was pride in those words. "She was completely hysterical even before he started talking, but he just shut her up and told her his man wasn't happy about the two of them, so that would be it. She started yelling of course but he hung up on her and put his phone on do not disturb." </p><p>It made sense. Balthazar had been with the mystery man for over three years when Gabriel discovered it was actually Lucifer. Of course they talked about stuff like that for a relationship to last. "Thank you for asking that of him." </p><p>"Yeah well, what he was doing was inadvertently hurting one of my friends." A small nod indicated both of them understood he did this for Gabriel's sake. </p><p> </p><p>There were still so many things Gabriel wondered about Balthazar and Lucifer. How did they even get together, had they always had an open relationship... Apparently he wasn't the only one with questions. </p><p>"So he just outed himself like that?" Charlie asked. "I figured you two were keeping it quiet because of your unconventional relationship, or you know. Maybe Lucifer not being comfortable with people knowing he liked men." </p><p>"Oh no. It's a secret because I don't need people to know I have a direct line to the big boss. And I like to be mysterious of course." He grinned. "So I suggest we leave the question time for what it is and start playing a game." </p><p>No one argued with that. Balthazar was a pretty private about stuff that actually mattered to him, so it was surprising he had shared as much as he did. </p><p> </p><p>They spend a few hours playing overcooked on Charlie's switch as they argued about who was supposed to be doing what in the game. Around half passed five, they decided to call it a day. "One quick thing before you leave." Charlie told them. "I have good news. I had a sit down with the woman that's replacing Ruby, Becky Rosen."</p><p>"Never heard of her." Gabriel admitted. "I'm guessing she's willing to honor Ruby's promise to let you hire someone?" He asked, since Charlie called it good news. </p><p> </p><p>"Not exactly. She says I've been shooting too low. She wants to gradually expand the IT team into a full department with at least five people to handle first time fixes and two seniors to handle the more difficult problems and run updates." </p><p>That was amazing. "How..?" </p><p>"Exactly," Balthazar agreed. "I thought there was no budget for any expansion?" </p><p>"That's what Ruby said." Charlie agreed. "But according to Becky, Ruby just didn't pay for the right things. Apparently that's because a large portion of the budget has been dedicated to paying overtime, but you know those forms we have to fill in when we need to get overtime approved. It turns out about one third of all the request forms mentioned IT problems as the number one reason for not finishing on time. So when Becky was still an advisor, she made this entire plan to use the budget more efficiently and a larger IT staff was a big part of it. Of course Ruby didn't really take that well to criticism, so the plan never even got scheduled."</p><p>"But now Becky is in charge." Balthazar grinned. "I must say, she seem a lot more pleasant to deal with."</p><p>"She is. She is a massive nerd as well, which helps. Half way through our sit down, we started talking about shows and fan theories... Like, it's not difficult to be more pleasant than Ruby, but she has this passion when she speaks and her intentions seem good. She has already contacted the employment agency and I have three candidates to interview this Monday." She turned to Gabriel. "Do you know when you'll be able to come back to the office for full days? It would be helpful to have you there in person to train the new hires." </p><p>"I'm returning this Monday. Like I said, Sam is doing a lot better. He is starting on Monday as well... And handing in his resignation." </p><p>"And you?" Charlie asked. "I know you meant to resign at the start of the week." </p><p>"Yeah." He hadn't meant to bring it up today and sour the mood, but he couldn't keep quiet about something like that. "I want to do the same thing." He admitted. "Would you be okay with that?" </p><p>"Of course. Are you going to complete the full two weeks notice? I could really use you there to train people, but I'm sure I can talk Becky into allowing an early leave, given what happened with Ruby. It's not a stretch to say you don't feel comfortable in the office anymore." </p><p>It was a sweet offer, but he wasn't going to let Charlie and Balthazar deal with training those new people on their own. "Of course I can finish the two weeks. Sam is going to do the same so it's not like I'm leaving him with the work at home. If you need me to, maybe I can even stay an extra week, working mornings only. But I'd need the afternoons off, because we really need to put some work into the business. We've already fallen behind on our schedual." </p><p>Charlie shook her head. "If that's what you want, I'd support it, but there is no need for that. If the talks go well, the applicants can start this Wednesday. That  means you can help drag them through the first week and a half. It's bound to get easier after that." </p><p> </p><p>It wasn't long before Gabriel had to catch his bus. On the way home he texted Sam, asking if he should pick up some take-out on the way home. The reply followed quickly, asking if Gabriel would mind Donna joining them for dinner. Of course he agreed. It had to be a good sign that she was still there four hours later.  </p><p>The bus stopped a few yards from the noodle shop that now felt pretty significant to Gabriel, which meant he could easily pick up their order before hurrying home. Maybe he should be more nervous about meeting Donna, Sam obviously cared about her opinion. Especially since her last bad opinion about Sam's partner had been so spot on. But Gabriel knew his intentions weren't bad and he was sure she would be able to see that. </p><p> </p><p>Before opening the door to the apartment he knocked, not wanting to intrude on private conversation. When he walked into the living room, he was met by Sam and a blonde woman he assumed to be Donna, finishing up a board game Gabriel didn't know. Donna got up from her chair, a wide welcoming smile bright on her face. "You must be Gabriel. I'm Donna. Can I say you have the cutest cats?" </p><p>Although Gabriel hadn't been nervous, he had suspected to be greeted with suspicion. Instead Donna took out her phone and started showing him some designs for the climbing wall. "So what do you think here, are these approved?" </p><p>"Looks great." Gabriel nodded. "It's not really my call. Sam, what did you think?" </p><p>Donna clapped Gabriel on the back. "Okay, I like you." A sly grin spread over her face as she winked at Sam. One look at Sam betrayed that he had been well aware that it had been a test. </p><p>"So I'm approved?" Gabriel couldn't be angry that Donna was testing him, she was looking out for Sam. Although asking him for his opinion on changes to his own house was a pretty low bar to pass. </p><p>"Let's not get ahead of ourselves yet." There was no harshness in her tone and she even winked at him. "Let's see what we have here." She took the take out bags and snooped through them. It was obvious why Sam liked her. She was cheerful and straightforward. </p><p> </p><p>As they took out the food Sam asked how Charlie and Balthazar were doing and Gabriel told him about the about the expansion of the IT team. He decided to tell him about Lucifer dropping Ruby when they were alone. During dinner, the three traded stories. Even though it was obvious Donna was still trying to asses him, she never acted hostile towards Gabriel. Instead asking questions that could be seen as innocent, but were a clear attempt to judge his character. After dinner she announced she should really get going, before hugging Sam tight.</p><p>"I was so glad to see your text and to see that you're okay. Well, a little banged up maybe. I'm sure the others would love to see you again to." She told him before pulling back. "It'll take me about two months to make all the pieces, but I hope I'll hear from you again before that." </p><p>Sam nodded. "Thanks for... Everything." Sam nodded. "It was really nice to catch up again." </p><p>"It was." She turned to face Gabriel. "It's been good meeting you. Take care of him, will ya?" </p><p>Gabriel nodded. "I can't wait to see those wall pieces." He added before Sam walked her down. </p><p> </p><p>When Sam entered the apartment again, Gabriel was loading the dishwasher. Sam made his way over with a smile, wrapping his arms tightly around Gabriel. "Today went well." He grinned before kissing Gabriel softly. </p><p>A warmth spread through Gabriel. Sam was right there, holding him after a fun day with friends. How did he ever get to be this lucky. He kissed him back, reveling in the domestic bliss. "It seemed to have." Gabriel agreed. "You must be tired?" Although was doing better, somethings still took a toll on him. </p><p>"I think I'll be fine if I go to bed early.  I'm going to have to give up naps if I want to go back to work to hand over my tasks." He dropped the hold on Gabriel in favor of helping him clear the table. "I'll send Lucifer a message tomorrow if I still feel up to it." </p><p>Gabriel nodded. "Talking about Lucifer, Balthazar told me something." He wasn't sure if Sam wanted to hear, but it didn't seem fair to keep it from him either. "Balth seemed really sorry about everything that happened." </p><p>Sam sighed, he was facing away from Gabriel to wipe the table, but his shoulders visibly tensed. "It's not his fault. It's barely Lucifer's fault, although he shouldn't have done it. Ruby is the one that cheated on me." </p><p>"That's true, when Balthazar suspected that to be the case, it made him uncomfortable, so he asked Lucifer to stop." </p><p>"Oh... So he did?" </p><p>"Yeah... The same night you broke up with her." </p><p> </p><p>The sound coming from Sam might just be a laugh, but there was something pained in it as well. He clutched the dishrag before actually laughing and turning around to face Gabriel. "Good to know that evening was bad for her to." He returned to Gabriel in the kitchen, throwing the rag in the sink. "Bet she lost everything. And I gained everything that night." He told Gabriel, encircling him in his arms again.</p><p>"We got out of it a lot better than she did." Gabriel agreed. "I wish you didn't have to go through it, but I was more than happy to catch you on the other end. </p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Before Gabriel opened his eyes that Sunday, he took some extra time, enjoying the remanence of sleep and the warmth of Sam's chest beneath him. A pillow really didn't compare. With a soft groan, he blinked his eyes open, slowly adjusting to the flood of natural light filling the room. Sam had some timer set up on his curtains so they would slowly open to wake him up. Gabriel wasn't that sensitive to light, so Sam usually woke him up. </p><p>Looking up, he found Sam, wide awake and staring down at him with a smile. "Morning." He whispered, kissing the top of Gabriel's head. </p><p>"You're staying in late." </p><p>"I didn't want to wake you up." As he said it, he stroked his fingers through Gabriel's hair. "What would you think about going out for today?" </p><p>The thought of being out in public still scared Gabriel. Not to be seen with Sam, but because he was still afraid it would take to much out of Sam to be out there, risking bumps on the head or getting to tired and trip or something like that. If any of the fragments in his skull dislodged, they might still make their way into his brain and cause damage. But of course they couldn't stay inside until everything was healed up, since it would takes months.</p><p>Gabriel nodded against Sam chest, reluctant to move away from it. "You sure you feel up for that?" He asked.</p><p>"I do. I'm going to the office tomorrow anyway, so it might be good to go outside beforehand and see how well it goes." </p><p>With a sigh, Gabriel pried himself off of his favorite pillow. "Okay." He grinned. "I guess that means we're getting up." </p><p> </p><p>As they got ready, Sam explained that he didn't want to buy anything until he knew how much money Lucifer was going to offer. </p><p>Gabriel turned to him as he buttoned up his shirt. "Why is Lucifer offering you money at all?" </p><p>"Because Morningstar Inc. is liable for my damages." Sam looked at him unsure. "Do you think Lucifer gave me  a week to recover and allowed Charlie to have you work half days because he's such a great guy?" </p><p>"I guess not..." It did seem out of character for Lucifer to care that much about Sam's wellbeing, even if he did feel responsible in any way.</p><p>"He's doing everything to proof he accommodated my recovery, in case I turn it into a lawsuit. That always tends to elicit lower penalties." Sam shook his head. "Not that I plan on taking him to court. He have enough to worry about, but the money will be welcome to decorate the office."</p><p> </p><p>Although Sam seemed to be doing fine, Gabriel couldn't help but worry. His eyes were trained on Sam at all times and refused to let go of his hand. Although Sam was a bit more accustomed to his lack of depth perception after a week, he still tended to run into signs every now and then, or duck out of their way far to early. It didn't stop him from running around the 'work and study' section of each furniture store they visited, forcing Gabriel to keep up. </p><p>Whether it was the prospect of starting a business, the excitement from being around people again or the joy of buying furniture he actually like, the trip seemed to do wonders for Sam. He took pictures of desks he liked, dragged tape measures across surfaces, jotted down notes and prizes. There was so much planning and forethought that contrasted the two of them.  Gabriel would probably just see what desk was about the right right height and leave it at that. He wasn't even sure what shop they were in most of the time. They all blended together in a mix of slightly different scents of carpet cleaners and hues of off white walls and grey or brown flooring. Not that Gabriel minded following Sam around, past the glares of other patrons. Most of them looked at Sam's bandages, some of them stared at the holding hands. Pretty much everyone took in Sam's enthusiasm. </p><p> </p><p>It took him about three hours and half a notebook before they had seen every single desk and chair in every store in town. "So which did you like most? I think in the range of-" As they walked out of the last store, Sam was still looking through his notes. Gabriel pulled him back just in time before he bumped into someone. </p><p>"How about we get some coffee somewhere to talk about it. You're already running around half blind, no need to add an extra challenge to walking." When Sam agreed, Gabriel took him to a coffeeshop he loved. They had the best cinnamon rolls Gabriel ever tasted. It was still an undiscovered gem, so they had some peace and quiet as Sam talked Gabriel through several design ideas, while admitting he didn't remember half of the things they saw. </p><p>When Sam had talked Gabriel and himself through all his plans and thought, another thought seemed to hit him. "This is our first outing as a couple...." He looked around the coffeeshop. "I dragged you around 10 different shop, and somehow you still found a way to turn it into a sweet date." </p><p>With a grin, Gabriel nodded. "I figure we've been doing things out of order since the start. Why not do the cliché coffee date after shopping for furniture together." He finished his treat, sucking the glazing off of his fingers to hold on to the sugary goodness for a little longer. "Besides, I needed to refuel after following you around all day." </p><p>Sam chuckled, You can have half of my cinnamon bun as well." Sam offered, already cutting it of. "For compensation." </p><p>Gabriel wasn't going to reject that. "If you insist." He grinned, taking the half Sam cut off. "Don't you need the energy?" </p><p>Sam grinned as he lifted his almost empty glass. "There's more than enough energy in smoothies. Besides I'm pretty much done, unless you want to go somewhere before we go home?" </p><p>One of Gabriel's favorite shops was visible from the front facing window of the coffeeshop. "If it's not too much at once, I'd like to browse around there." He pointed towards the shop. The window was decorated with a lego display of Hogwarts, and a replica of Smaug, separated by stacks of Pop-figures and geeky mugs. </p><p>"It's not too much." Sam said with big eyes. "Besides, we need to look for some decorations as well. Do you think they one of those large maps of middle earth? I've always wanted one of those, they look so cool." </p><p>"I'm pretty sure I've seen them there. They have lots of stuff like that."</p><p> </p><p>They did, Sam ended up wanting to buy not just a large map of middle earth, but Marauders map mousepads, Rubi cube pen holders, a TARDIS shaped lamp. Gabriel remembered the first time he entered one of these stores. The only difference between the two of them was that Gabriel left the store with a lot of junk, while Sam wrote everything down in his notebook to buy later. "You are such a nerd." Gabriel grinned before kissing his cheek. </p><p>Sam smiled, putting down the Bulbasaur shaped planter he was inspecting. "yes, and you absolutely love it." </p><p>"I do." Gabriel admitted with a smirk. "But you're still a nerd." </p><p> </p><p>When they got home, Sam collapsed on the couch exhausted. Gabriel snuggled up next to him. "Good day?" </p><p>As he put an arm around Gabriel he nodded. "Very good day." </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>That Monday, both of of them took the bus to work. Since Sam lived closer to the business district than Gabriel, there were barely any seats left when they got on. Gabriel insisted Sam should take one of the few available isle seats and Gabriel could stand. </p><p>As they neared their stop, Gabriel was hit with a realization. "Do you want me to wait before going after you, so you can go in alone?" He wasn't sure what Sam preferred. Walking into the place where he had been attacked completely on his own, or walk in together, like they had done once... When he was attacked. </p><p>With a sober smile Sam shook his head. "If you don't mind being seen with me, I don't want to act like I don't know you or something." He took Gabriel's hand his and kissed his knuckles, ignoring the angry stare of the lady standing next to Gabriel. "I'm not ashamed to be seen with you. Besides, knowing the rumor mill everyone probably already knows that we live together. There was quite a pretty big crowd when Ruby hit me and she wasn't really quiet about her reasoning." He reminded Gabriel. </p><p>Right, Ruby had been spouting lies about Sam and Gabriel's relationship loud enough for anyone that wanted to hear. "Aren't you afraid they agree with Ruby if they found out through her? I mean, she made it out like you were the one that was cheating." </p><p>"I like to believe that at least the people that work for me know me well enough to know I wouldn't cheat." He huffed out a laugh. "And I'm beyond caring what others think. Maybe if we were staying, it would be important to set the record straight, but I don't want to waste my energy on people that don't really know me, and who I'll never see again." </p><p>There was no arguing with logic like that. It still meant a lot, knowing Sam cared more about Gabriel than about the opinion of near strangers. </p><p> </p><p>The bus conveniently stopped right in front of their office. Gabriel stared at the building that towered before them. This was the start of his last two week. Although he was happy to be able to leave, he knew he was also going to miss his time here. He met his two best friends and his partner, all in the span of a year and the constricts of that building. A look at Sam was enough to see the sight affected him as well. His mouth was slightly ajar as he glared up, his gaze meeting the red letters at the top.</p><p>Morningstar Inc. </p><p>Sam swallowed hard, and Gabriel was surprised to see he was nervously picking at his sleeves. Instead there was a fierce determination in his eyes. He nodded once, smiled at Gabriel, then made his way towards the building. </p><p> </p><p>As soon as they entered, they were spotted. "Sam." The lady from reception called with big eyes. Instead of meeting his eyes, she was openly staring at the bandages covering Sam's head and one eye. She only broke away from it to look over Gabriel before addressing Sam again. "It's uhm... It's good to see you." </p><p>There was a question on her lips she didn't dare to ask and Sam wasn't offering up the answer out of no where. He smiled a tight smile as she kept silent. "It's good to see you to Madaline. Anything I can help you with?" </p><p>After another quick glance at the bandages she shook her head. Sam lifted his eyebrows, his smile still firm on his face. "Well then, have a good day." </p><p>"You too." She answered quickly, completely ignoring Gabriel apart from the suspicious glance earlier. </p><p>Sam turned to the stairs, meeting Gabriel's eyes as he did. As soon as he was no longer facing the woman, Sam's tight smile turned to a more genuine one. Lucky Sam didn't seem too annoyed by the discomfort of the short conversation. All Gabriel could hope was that it hadn't worn him down by the end of the day, since this was probably the first in a long line of awkward half acknowledgements. </p><p> </p><p>They didn't speak as Gabriel followed Sam up the stairs. When they arrived at the second floor, Sam turned to Gabriel. "Try not to worry to much, okay?" </p><p>"Who me?" Gabriel smirked, trying to ignore the stares passing colleague's gave them. </p><p>Sam didn't even seem to notice. "Yes, you." He grinned. "I'll be fine. If anything happens, or if it turns out this was a step too soon, I'll text you okay." </p><p>Gabriel feigned innocence. "You make it seem like I worry a whole lot..." </p><p>"You do." Sam grinned. "Now go fix some computers or something. I'll come by your office when I'm done." With that, he turned away to go up the next flight of stairs. </p><p> </p><p>When Gabriel opened the door to The Cave, Charlie was already typing away at her computer. "Our soon to be lost warrior." She greeted him. "How does it feel, being back here?"</p><p>"Weird." Gabriel made his way over to his desk. "But that might be because everyone was staring at me and Sam like they were trying to asses which side they should pick." </p><p>"Keep me updated who's wearing shirt with Team Ruby or Team Gabriel." </p><p> </p><p>The feeling soon settled as he stayed inside The Cave and it almost felt like everything had gone back to normal. Of course Gabriel wondered how Sam was doing through out the day, but apart from that, he barely noticed anything out of the ordinary. After Charlie came back from the interviews, she said they were going to bring out an offer to two of the three candidates, which was really good. </p><p>Time passed quickly, and before he realized there was a knock at the door before Sam opened the door, waiting in the doorway for everyone to see. He did his little handwave to the rest before looking at Gabriel. "Are you ready to go home?" Still without making any moves to walk in. I seemed like he really didn't care what the rest of the building thought.</p><p>"Yeah, let me just finish this real quick." Gabriel was just wrapping up the last ticket of the day. </p><p>Charlie invited Sam in, giving him a once over. "How are you healing up? Is it still that bad or do you just really like looking like a pirate?" </p><p>"Bit of both." Sam laughed. "I have an appointment at the hospital this Friday so I might have to lose the cosplay in my last week." </p><p>"Oh?" Charlie asked. "Gabe, you didn't tell me you needed Friday off." </p><p>Gabriel had felt bad about asking since they were going to be training the new people. Sam answered before he could. "It's fine, I can go by myself. I know you guys will be busy with the new hires." </p><p>Balthazar huffed. "You know you're leaving right? You don't need to still please everyone here. Just Gabriel..." He added with a smirk. </p><p>Charlie threw him a look before turning her attention back to Sam. "It's okay by me, but I can imagine you don't want to be alone in case it's bad news. I'm sure it won't take up the whole day, so we can just work around it." </p><p>Even though he was going to be his own boss soon, Gabriel didn't think even he would be as accommodating to himself as Charlie was towards him. </p><p>Sam looked relieved at the words and Gabriel understood. He was relieved as well. "The appointment is at four, so if I could be off at three we should be able to easily make it." </p><p>"If that's possible." Sam added quickly. </p><p>"Of course it possible." Charlie assured him. "If it wasn't I wouldn't have brought it up." </p><p>Gabriel closed the ticket he was only half paying attention to. "Thanks Charlie." </p><p>"Sure thing." She assured them as Gabriel started packing up his bag. He didn't ask about Sam's day yet. No matter how much he trusted his friends, he suspected Sam would prefer to talk in private if anything happened. </p><p> </p><p>On the bus, Sam told him how most of his colleagues hadn't even brought up bandages or the fight until Sully did at the morning sprint meeting. Suddenly everyone was wishing him well. Sully was pretty much Sam's replacement whenever he was sick. Sam was so proud that Sully got offered his position right after Sam resigned. As soon as they got home, Sam took the 'Get well soon' card out of his bag to show Gabriel. Apparently the rumor mill lived up to his name. Someone who knew someone from HR had heard that Ruby had been living in the apartment after the breakup, so the team hadn't dared to send it by mail. </p><p>"How did Lucifer react to the resignation?" Now that they were home, there was no longer a risk of people listening in.</p><p>"Well..." Sam grinned widely. "He asked if it had to do with the fight and as soon as that topic came up, we could discuss the liability payment." </p><p>Gabriel had forgotten about that again, but now he was very curious. "So?" </p><p>"All hospital bills are covered in shared liability with Ruby. I get $50.000,- for emotional damage and another $10.000,- that can only be spend on therapy." Sam summed up. When Sam first mentioned the liability payments Gabriel hadn't known what to expect, but this seemed like a pretty good payout. </p><p>"And you just get that? You don't have to go to court over it?" </p><p>Sam shook his head. "It's a direct payout. If I don't think this covers the damage, I can make bring a lawsuit, but this is the offer they brought out and I accepted." He explained. "This is enough to get everything we need, even the treadmill desk!" </p><p> </p><p>The payment came through the next day and they made sure to order the furniture right away so they could get in delivered so they could start working there as soon as they stopped at Morningstar Inc.</p><p> </p><p>That Wednesday, Gabriel and Sam left for work half an hour earlier. The new hires would be there at half past eight, and Charlie had asked the others for help setting up before they arrived. Sam didn't mind getting to work on time, since it was quite a task to hand over and make instructions for everything he built in the past 5 years. </p><p>When Gabriel stepped into The Cave, both Charlie and Balthazar were already there. Gabriel joined their efforts before the three of them worked on clearing any tickets that had already been made, so they could start with a fairly clean slate when the new hires arrived. They also made sure to get their laptops ready in time. </p><p> </p><p>At a quarter to nine reception called Charlie to come pick up the first hire. The boy she returned with barely looked 17, but apparently he was 21 and just finished college. "Hello." The boy waved, an excited grin on his face. "I'm Jack." </p><p>"Jack, this is Balthazar and this is Gabriel." she introduced the others, letting them introduce themselves before adding. "I think it's best if you shadow Gabriel today." </p><p>"Okay." Jack stepped behind Gabriel at once, looking over his screen. Gabriel turned, facing the other. "No need to be so literal, come take a seat. I'll help you set up the laptop." </p><p>It took ten minutes before reception called again for number two. That was enough time to figure out why Jack was paired with Gabriel instead of Balthazar. He was a sweet kid, really, but he had so many questions, even before they got into the job itself. Gabriel liked him, he was straight forward and still wide eyed. Balthazar had a bit less patience. </p><p> </p><p>When Charlie arrived with the other hire, Jack got up from his chair to hug her. "Jane!" </p><p>"Listen kid." Balthazar started as Charlie and Gabriel looked at each other dumbfounded. "That's not how you greet people at an office." </p><p>Jack pulled back at once, looking a bit ashamed. Jane ran her hand through her dark auburn hair. "Jack? I didn't know you applied here." </p><p>Charlie let out a sigh of relief. "Oh good, you know each other." </p><p>Jane nodded. "Jack is my cousin." She clarified. "Sorry for that..." </p><p>Charlie smiled. "Don't worry about it. It's great that you guys already know each other. Well I don't have to introduce you to Jack then. He'll be shadowing Gabriel. You can follow Balthazar." She said, gesturing toward the other. As they booted up their computers they talked a bit about themselves. Jane was pretty timid, but she asked the right questions at the right time. </p><p>Jack was pretty forward with his thoughts, something Gabriel could appreciate. The second time Balthazar went up to 'help'  Lucifer, he asked rather Lucifer was just really bad at working with computers or whether he just liked hanging out with Balthazar. </p><p> </p><p>Luckily both Jack and Jane picked up the work pretty quickly over the next two days, which meant Gabriel felt okay leaving them to Charlie and Balthazar that Friday so he could go to Sam's hospital appointment. On the bus ride there, Sam grabbed Gabriel's hand as soon as they were seated. "Are you nervous?" </p><p>Sam bit his lip. "I don't know, I just hope I get to take this thing off my eye so I get my depth perception back. And I want to know when it'll be safe to work out again without messing that whole situation up there up." </p><p>"Most people would be happy if someone gave them an excuse to not work out." Gabriel laughed, making Sam smirk in response.</p><p>"I thought you'd be happy I might want to get into things that are a bit more intensive." His voice was low and his tone teasing. Sam had never looked as proud as when he got Gabriel flustered in public. </p><p>After regaining his composure, Gabriel smirked. "Well when you put it that way..." </p><p>Seeing Sam chuckle further calmed some of Gabriel's worries. If Sam was in the mood for teasing and jokes, Gabriel could lighten up as well. </p><p> </p><p>Although the ride had been fairly quiet, the hospital was bustling as always. Sam grinned as they sat down in the waiting room. "You know, this is the first time in two weeks I'm out in public without people staring at my injury." He grinned. </p><p>"Hmm, they're still staring though, but probably just because a hot guy just walked in." Sam smiled at the compliment, but Gabriel added in a tease. "Holding the hand of an injured man." They both knew the injured part wasn't the problem, but the few odd glances bounced off of them easily. Gabriel had to deal with that all his life and Sam seemed to have some experience with that as well. </p><p>"You're right about that." With a smirk, Sam kissed Gabriel's cheek. "I'm really glad you're here Gabe..." Luckily, the were called in pretty quickly. </p><p> </p><p>The doctor let them to an examination room where she first asked Sam several questions about sleep, pain and medication. To do the physical examination she took the bandages off, warning Sam that he might want to close his eyes to shield himself from the sudden brightness. Before Sam opened his eyes again he looked at Gabriel with a wide smile. It was a bit hard to recognize the sweetness of the gesture, seeing how dried blood caked the side of Sam's face, along with some intricate stitching. </p><p>Even as the doctor examined the wound and asked him questions, Sam's eyes kept drifting towards Gabriel. The picture was a whole lot less gruesome after the wound was cleaned up so the stiches could be examined. The end conclusion was a positive one, Sam could keep the bandages off and the stiches could be removed in three weeks. </p><p> </p><p>As they traveled back home, Sam announced that he planned on taking his car home on Monday. "Maybe we can even  go to your old place, see if we need to pick something up there." </p><p>It took Gabriel a second to realize the phrasing. <em>Old place, </em>like he didn't live there anymore. Technically he didn't, but they still hadn't discussed Gabriel moving in permanently, even though it would be weird for him to go back now. "For my new place?" Gabriel lifted an eyebrow. </p><p>Sam's eyes went wide as he realized. "I mean... Are you planning to leave now that the bandages are off?" There was a panic in Sam's voice that he was clearly trying to suppress. </p><p>"No." Gabriel answered quickly, not wanting to make Sam feel like recovering was a bad thing. "But we are going to have to talk about this some time soon. I don't have to give up my house right away, but with no job it wouldn't be the worse idea to cut down on rent after a little while." </p><p>"Would you want that?" Sam asked.</p><p>"I think so." He didn't plan on giving it all up already, but he wasn't going to give up his house just yet. "Maybe in a few months we can see what works?" </p><p>Sam smiled. "That sounds like a good plan." </p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The office furniture was delivered and installed early on Saturday. Although Gabriel really enjoyed building IKEA stuff with Sam, this was a lot more complicated. The only reason the furniture wasn't delivered pre-assembled was because it wouldn't fit in the elevator like that. Instead, the store send people over to assemble it professionally. </p><p>When they were done, it was clear that had been the right call. The desks were sturdy and there wasn't a nick or scratch on them. The white glass board hung on the opposite wall, slightly reflecting the sun from the windows.  Sam put an arm around Gabriel. "Can you imagine, just one more week, and we'll get to sit here together every day, working on our own little business." </p><p>It suddenly started to feel pretty real, with this physical proof right in front of them. Their own office, their own business. And it was going to be theirs all the way through. Once the builders left, they were able to continue making the office perfect themselves. Sam started with cleaning the room fully to get rid of any dust that settled due to the work, while Gabriel sorted out cable management and monitor placement. </p><p>When all the bare necessities were taken care of,  Sam dragged in the box of accessories they ordered. With a big smile, they placed the TARDIS shaped penholders, Star Trek mouse pad, Bulbasaur planter and all the other stationary and trinkets they bought to make the place feel more like their own.</p><p> </p><p>It took them until the end of the afternoon to get everything set up completely. This time Gabriel turned to Sam to wrap his arms around the other and look into his eyes, Which somehow still felt new now that the bandages were gone. "So, mister Winchester. You called me into your office?" He smirked as Sam leaned in to kiss him. </p><p>When they pulled apart again Sam was grinning widely, his eyebrows lifted. "Really, that's your line?" He pressed his forehead against Gabriel. "I can't wait to be cooped up here with you every day." </p><p>Something about that statement that made butterflies erupt in Gabriel's stomach. He leaned in with closed eyes, pressing a gentle kiss to Sam's lips. "I love you."</p><p>There was a slight pause. All of Gabriel's muscles tightened up. He had never said that to another man, not like this. Not in a romantic setting. Sam pulled one hand away from where it was wrapped around Gabriel's shoulders. A hand cupped his cheek instead, making him open his eyes and see a tear stream down Sam's face. "I love you too." The break in Sam's voice was something so delicate, Gabriel had no idea how to handle it. He wiped away the tear, as the two stared at each other. More tears fell as Sam smiled brighter. "I wouldn't trade this for the world." </p><p>Gabriel's eyes water as he looked into Sam's eyes, feeling nothing but joy. "Me neither." </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The next morning, they decided to sleep in. However Gabriel was woken up by the doorbell at 11, finding Sam already awake next to him. "Were you expecting someone?" Gabriel asked, still rubbing the sleep out off his eyes as he tried to blink awake.</p><p>Sam squinted, coming up blank. "No, I'll go see who it is." As he got out of bed, he took the heat with. Gabriel wanted to protest, but he was to flustered as Sam bowed over to kiss his forehead before heading to the door. "It's probably just solicitors." With that in mind, Sam didn't bother putting anything on over the boxers he slept in. </p><p>Gabriel grumbled but quickly threw on a tee-shirt and a pair of jeans so he would at least be representable if someone was coming up to see them. The only thing he could think about was that one of the builders might have forgotten something the day before. When Sam returned to the bedroom his eyes were big as he franticly started sorting through his closet of business clothes. Definitely not solicitors or workers then. </p><p>"It's Rowena..." There was a real sense of urgency in his tone as he tried to access which of his button ups would be suited to greet her in.  "Can you stall her?"</p><p>"Why is she here?" Gabriel asked confused as he ran a hand over his tee-shirt  to straighten out some of the wrinkles. </p><p>Sam shook his head. "I have no idea. I just buzzed her up when she asked me too, she said she had some sort of gift." He hastily settled on the one of the crisp white shirts with a slim collar. "Tell her I'll be right out." </p><p>With a glance in the mirror, Gabriel figured his own outfit was probably not the most suited to go and greet a potential investor, but that didn't even seem to cross Sam's mind. If Sam didn't mind, neither did Gabriel. Rowena would just have to deal with that if she planned to come by unannounced. When he entered the living room, he found himself growing curious about what sort of gift Rowena had been talking about. He didn't have a lot of time to think about it before he heard three short knocks on the apartment door. </p><p> </p><p>When he opened the door, he swore he could see a moment of surprise on Rowena's face, before it washed away in a big knowing grin. "Oh Gabriel, nice surprise to see you here on a Sunday morning." She was beaming as she made her way past Gabriel and into the apartment. Right, this was pretty much a confirmation Sam and Gabriel were living together now. He hadn't even considered that when he opened the door. Luckily, Rowena seemed very pleased by the discovery. As she barged in, she carried in a basket of fruit and wines that was almost half her size. "You two weren't at the wine tasting yesterday. People had a pretty interesting story as to why." She sat down at the kitchen table, already making herself at home. "So, disregarding the more elaborate tales about a knife-fighting and being pushed from the third floor, I thought I'd see for myself what was up. Where is Samuel?" She looked around before facing Gabriel. </p><p>Of course, they had been invited to a wine tasting when Sam brought Gabriel to the restaurant. With everything that happened, Gabriel had completely forgotten about that. Not that Sam could even mix the medication he was on with alcohol. He hadn't heard the false rumors about the fight yet, but them being out there wasn't really a surprise.  "Sam's getting changed. We weren't expecting you." </p><p>"Samuel dear." Rowena called out in no particular direction. "No need to impress me with your fancy suits. I'm here as a friend, not as a business partner." She smirked as she turned to Gabriel. "He was probably all nervous when he saw me." </p><p>"You have no idea." Gabriel chuckled. He couldn't help but love how direct un unashamed Rowena was. Somewhere deep down, he even understood how Ruby could feel threatened by how nervous Sam got around Rowena and how well the redhead read him, but he trusted Sam. Even though he had the feeling there had been something going on between the two of them at one point, whatever lingered seemed to be a deep sense of mutual respect. "Can I get you anything while we wait for him? Coffee, tea?" </p><p>"Tea would be lovely. And oh look at that. I said there was no need to impress me, but you always do, don't you?" She turned to the door that just opened and Gabriel couldn't help but agree. Sam was dressed in a tightfitting button up with a well tailored black jacket with red details and matching dress pants. He looked like he walked in straight out off a magazine cover. </p><p>Sam looked back at Rowena with an awkward smile. "Uh thanks. You too." He fumbled as he made his way over. "Thank you for coming here." There was something cute about how badly Sam handled the casual flirting from a woman he clearly looked up up to. </p><p> </p><p>A scold came over Rowena's face as she took in Sam fully. In a swift move she got up from the chair to instead make her way over to Sam, examining the side of his face. "That gash is awful though. I'm glad the DA is taking this up personally. She deserves a harsh punishment." </p><p>"When did you hear the district attorney was getting involved?" Sam squinted. "Did you have anything to do with that?" </p><p>Rowena shook her head. "What? Like I would call up an old friend on a Saturday night and slightly nudge him in the direction of your case?" She walked back over to the table, staying silent until she sat down.  "If that were the case, you should probably know I asked him to consider mandatory anger management and community service on top of a restraining order. If it were up to me, she'd be in jail life long for attempted murder, but I know you're not the vengeful type." </p><p>Sam bowed his head, a smile smile on his lips as he nodded. "Thank you." </p><p>"Don't thank me yet, I mean, you certainly can, but I'm expecting another thank you for this." She gestured to the gift basket. "Since you missed the tasting, I decided to bring you some of my favorites. And since it's probably not in very good taste to bring someone one painkillers wine, there's also some healthy stuff in there, just for you. Oh and some tartlets the staff and a dinner coupon the staff threw in when I told them I wanted to put the basket together." </p><p>The gesture seemed to throw Sam off guard. Although he tried not to show how much it touched him, his tone wavered as he looked at the generous gift. "I don't know how to thank you. It's very sweet." </p><p>"I know." Rowena smirked. "But you don't need to thank me at all. That's what friends do. As for the other stuff. All the staff wanted was for you to come back to the restaurant once you recover. I'm pretty sure they threw that dinner coupon in so they'd know when you recover. They're very worried. Just know Ruby won't be able to show her face there again after what she did to you." </p><p> </p><p>While Sam was still trying to handle the fact that so many people cared about him, Rowena turned her attention to Gabriel serving her tea. "I'm sure they'll like you joining Sam far more." </p><p>"I hope so." Gabriel smiled as he sat down. He figured it would take some time to feel completely comfortable in spaces like that, but it helped a lot to know that the people there cared about Sam and his well being more than Gabriel assumed was normal for a restaurant. "So no exciting rumors about me?" </p><p>"Nothing apart from the idea that the two of you were having an affair. I know Samuel though." She turned back to Sam. "You're not the type. Although it's good to see the two of you together here. But no need to worry about rumors like that... Instead tell me the real story." </p><p> </p><p>With a nod, Sam started. He was careful at first, purposefully leaving out Lucifer's name. Rowena rolled her eyes as Sam mentioned 'some guy from work' being at the apartment unannounced. "Let me guess, Luci... I swear, that guy thinks everyone is as available as he and his boyfriend are." </p><p>Gabriel started to think Rowena knew everything if she even knew about Balthazar. Once Sam realized there was no need to hold back, he told the story fully. Not just about him and Ruby, but also how much better he felt with Gabriel. With a deep sigh, he looked at Rowena. "I owe you an apology as well." He started. "Like I said, Ruby pretty much made me give up most of my friends... But that's not an excuse for me drop our friendship. You pretty much mentored me into what I am today, and I feel terrible for the way I repaid you." </p><p>"Oh hush." Rowena told him softly, although a smile tugged at her lips. "It's all in the past. But don't you dare ignore me again for that long. I miss working with you, although I know we'll be working again pretty soon. Just forget about what happened in the past, I'm just glad you got out of that situation." </p><p> </p><p>"Right." Sam smiled softly. "I can show you what we've been working on. It's nowhere near finished but-"</p><p>"Samuel." Rowena cut him off. "Like I said, I'm not here on business. You and Gabriel can call me whenever you are ready to present. And if you have any documents to send, I'll gladly read them over, but I don't want to talk about that stuff right now. This is a friendly visit, which means you'll have to sit through me complaining about my gardener."</p><p>Which was exactly what she did. They chatted about the new office, Rowena's renovations, Sam's recovery. All in all, it was a fun afternoon. Rowena headed back home about two hours later after inviting them to come over for dinner some time. Once the door closed behind her, Sam turned to Gabriel, eyes wide.</p><p>Gabriel smiled, pulling him closer. "See, people care about you." He told Sam, knowing exactly what the other was frightened of. "She didn't take that away from you, even if the connections need some time to rebuilt."</p><p>Sam nodded, still speechless. He pulled Gabriel closer before letting go again. "This really feels like a new start. A better one."</p><p>"It is." Gabriel said. "I uhm... I've been thinking about the name of out company." The sudden switch made Sam frown but Gabriel continued. "What happened is terrible, but you getting your life back, us starting a company, that's the silver lining. What do you think about that as a name?"</p><p>Sam's eyes softened. "Silver lining?"</p><p>"I was thinking... How about SilverLines? A little less obvious, for marketing purposes." He grinned, showing that he had been paying attention to everything Sam told him about starting a business." </p><p>The other grinned. "I love it." </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gabriel wasn't sure how he felt during his last week at Morningstar Inc. Although he was excited to really start working on SilverLines, he was less thrilled about not seeing his friends on a daily bases anymore. Of course there were good things to it as well, since meeting them would be more special if he didn't see them every day. For now he made sure to enjoy the dumb jokes and teasing he was going to miss. With Jack and Jane still learning the ropes, there was ample opportunity for that as they told them stories of past mistakes and hijinks, reveling in the memories themselves. </p><p>When Friday afternoon rolled around, Charlie, Balthazar and Gabriel stayed behind after the other two had left. They were good kids who made sure to thank Gabriel for all he taught them, but Gabriel wanted to have one last moment with the people ha had spend most of his time with. Once they left, Gabriel logged out for the last time and handed Charlie the old outdated laptop he had cursed on a daily bases for the last eight months. "Poor thing. I don't think she can handle another user." </p><p>Charlie took it and stored it in their closet as Gabriel signed a piece of paper saying he turned all hardware in. "She'll have too, not everything can be fixed by a new HR manager." </p><p>Gabriel nodded. "Still, it's a good first step. You should bring it up sometime." </p><p>"What do you care, you're leaving." Balthazar grinned. "I'm sure you're doing your work on better equipment." </p><p>"No." Charlie interrupted. "I can hear the set up of a dick joke when I hear one and we're not doing this as a goodbye."</p><p>"I expected Gabriel to appreciate the subject of dicks now that he's going to be working with his good bi." Balthazar countered with a smirk. </p><p>With a over-exaggerated sigh, Charlie turned to Gabriel. "Can't you take his sense of humor with you?" </p><p>"You're going to be stuck with that." Gabriel laughed as Balth rolled his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>"In that case, we do have something else for you to take with you." Charlie pulled a neatly wrapped gift from her backpack. It was flat and square with a envelop taped to the top. "We wanted to give you a little something to make sure you won't forget us." She explained as she handed him the gift. </p><p>"Just know we'll kick your ass if you dare." Balthazar grinned, goodhearted but harsh, just as Gabriel knew him. </p><p> </p><p>Gabriel eyed the package excitingly before opening it, starting with the envelop. In it was a gift card to a laser quest hall near them. Balthazar smirked. "Yes, the card is for three people, and yes, that definitely means you are obligated to take us." </p><p>"You bought a gift for yourself?" Gabriel grinned. </p><p>Balthazar shrugged. "Our presence is the gift. And like that's not enough your ticket is free, stop complaining." He told Gabriel, although there was no hardness in his voice. </p><p>"I'm not, I'm just pointing it out." He grinned. He was going to miss this so much. He put the gift card down and refocused on the still wrapped gift. After tearing into the paper, he quickly recognized Charlie's face on the picture, her hair in a high knot with plastic bones holding it in place. With another tear, he and Balthazar were revealed as well. They were at a convention downtown. Charlie was wearing her Kinga Forrester cosplay, Gabriel wore a trench coat and tie, cosplaying as Constantine, and Balthazar wasn't cosplaying, but instead wore a tee-shirt from show Charlie and and Gabriel both didn't know, but one of the creators had a booth at the convention. </p><p>Gabriel already knew where to put the picture. He pulled his friends -it was past 5:30 so the were no longer his coworkers- into a hug. "Thanks guys." He couldn't help but smile at the kind gesture. There was no way he would forget them, but it felt nice to have a reminder. They decided to meet the next weekend at Charlie's for a movie night so they could hear all about how boring life was for Gabriel away from them. </p><p>When they left, Gabriel felt weird, closing the door of The Cave for the last time. He wasn't sad. If anything, he was happy to leave it behind and go up to Sam so they could start their new life together.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Since Sam hadn't come down to The Cave, he had to still be in his office. He already returned his laptop, so he couldn't be working. When he handed it in, he did mention he still needed to say goodbye to quite a few people, so it was no surprise.</p><p>As expected, Gabriel found Sam in what was now his former office. The other was scrolling through his phone lazily, putting it away as soon as Gabriel entered and meeting him with a smile instead. All Sam's personal belongings were removed. The only splash of color was the bright wrapping paper piling on the waste bin and the big shopper besides Sam that seemed to be filled with gifts from his department. </p><p>"Ready to leave?" In a few steps, Sam made his way over and grabbed Gabriel's hand. When Gabriel gave him a surprised look he grinned. "What are they going to do, fire us?" </p><p>It was that idea that lead them to walk into work together three weeks ago and nearly got Sam killed. But now there really was no danger. Gabriel squeezed his hand. "Why didn't you come down to the cave?" </p><p>"I thought I'd let you have your moment with the team. But Sully stuck around with me for a bit and Maria came to say goodbye before starting her clean rounds so I wasn't waiting alone for long."</p><p> </p><p>Sometimes Gabriel forgot that Sam and his team were also close, albeit in another way than Gabriel was close to Charlie and Balth. Just because they didn't meet after work didn't mean his team or the people outside of it weren't going to miss Sam. "I'm glad you were able to have a nice goodbye party." He eyed the shopper. "Looks like they didn't want you to leave empty handed.</p><p>A soft smile spread over Sam's face as he closed the office door behind him. "It's just some silly stuff from the guys, real sweet." He seemed embarrassed by how much he had gotten, but he was a well liked manager of a large team, of course people would want to buy him something. Gabriel was still happy with what he had gotten. Besides, he might be leaving the company, but knew he'd see his friends again.</p><p>With all the gifts Sam received, it was a good thing he was driving again, since the shopper would be pretty awkward in the bus. Just before Gabriel got into the car, he smiled. The first time Sam drove him to the apartment, the passenger side had been so clean Gabriel barely dared to step in. By now he knew that was only because no one ever joined him for the drive. But luckily that changed, although he wasn't sure Sam would see the sand Gabriel dragged into the car as a positive. </p><p> </p><p>When they got home, they went for noodles, which by now felt like a staple of their relationship. They settled down on the couch together, Sam's arm around Gabriel's shoulder as they ate and continued their show. This was the last weekend before they'd officially start working on SilverLines full time. Although they were eager to begin, they decided they deserved a weekend off now that they didn't have any deadlines to worry about. After that, they would have to go all in. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After a weekend of sleeping in and cuddling with the cats, the real work started Monday morning at eight. </p><p>
  <em>SilverLine</em>
</p><p>Sam wrote it at the top of the white glass board he had been so excited about. Luckily both of them had been taught some version of agile management in college, since it was used for project as well as development. They broke down everything they had to do into small tasks and used one side of the board for their Kanban so they could track what tasks were in progress. </p><p>Although Gabriel was familiar with the practice, he was grateful Sam was their to bring some structure. It gave him a little extra faith in what they were doing, since both of them made up what the other lacked. Throughout the week, when Sam started to worry about the little things, Gabriel was their to calm him down and put things in perspective. </p><p>Since they had already done a lot of work before hand, they settled on a deadline of two weeks to tweak the business plan before presenting it to Rowena. It was a tight schedule, but they needed clarity on their budget as soon as possible and knowing whether or not Rowena would invest in the company was a large part in that. They'd need an investment of at least $80,000,- to complete their plans.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Of course time flies by when you're having deadlines. The two weeks past by like it was nothing before they found themselves in front of Rowena's office. Although the building stood out at once, it wasn't anything like the office buildings Gabriel knew. "Are you sure this isn't her home address?" It might have been, since it was at the very start of the business district. The two-story building looked like an architects dream house, all made out of geometrical shapes and overhangs. </p><p>"She doesn't need a big building. She only invests and advises, so it's not like she has a staff to house in the office as well." Sam explained. "I do hope she offers to take on an advisory role for us." </p><p>"Why don't we just ask?"</p><p>"We're already asking a lot. Let's not over shoot too much." They made their way to the front door. "Besides, I'm sure she'll be willing to help if she isn't too busy." </p><p> </p><p>Before they could even ring the bell, Rowena opened the door to welcome them. "Gabriel, Samuel... I look forward to seeing what you have for me." As she led them to one of the conference rooms, they exchanged pleasantries and she offered them something to drink. As always, she looked in total control of the their interaction. The power she had and exuded outward might have been intimidating. No it was intimidating, but not in a way that made Gabriel afraid to mess up the presentation. Rowena knew what she wanted and what she was looking for, she wasn't going to fault their whole plan if Gabriel happened to mumble or something like that. If she didn't want to invest, it would be because they messed up before, not because they would mess up now. Knowing that took away some of the nerves about the meeting itself. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As soon as they reached the conference room she looked at them expectantly. The control panel is over there." She motioned to where Gabriel could hook up the HDMI as Sam handed her a copy of all the slides. When Gabriel asked him why he was printing those all out, Sam told him that's what she taught him. That if you want people to actually understand your presentation, give them the opportunity to write along. </p><p>"It's good to know you were paying attention all those years ago. Let's see how much you remember form what I taught you." She narrowed in on the slides on paper, a smile bright on her face. "I'm ready." She called out before looking at the screen. "Let's see what you've made of it."  </p><p> </p><p>Sam and Gabriel took turns presenting different sections of their business plan. Sam started with their mission statement and their unique selling point, which Gabriel followed up on by presenting the field study in which he compared their program against market leaders and showing how they had solutions to the flaws most programs contained. After that he demonstrated their current interface and walked Rowena through it, as well as showing her future plans for the program itself. Sam ended their presentation with the financial details and the proposed budget they of their plans. </p><p> </p><p>When they were done, Rowena clapped her hands together. "Boys, this is exactly what I expected from the two of you." It was clearly meant in praise. "I do want to suggest a few strategy adjustments, but those are wee things. First, we should talk about the portion of shares you are willing to give. Can you go to," She looked down at the paper. "Page 43?" Sam pulled up their distribution of assets. "I see you are looking for a ten percent outside share with a value of 100.000 dollar." A hard grin painted her face. "I think that'd fair, if I would have a little more assurance. Samuel, I know you are brilliant, but this is also the first time you're going to be running your own company. The same goes for you Gabriel, the program looks marvelous, really. On that alone, I'd take that deal right here and now. But neither of you have experience in running a business or selling a product. It's a risk and I'm not paying full prize for a risk." He words weren't harsh and the aim wasn't to hurt. It was a simple explanation.  </p><p>Sam crossed his arms although he was grinning. There was no surprise his face, he looked pleased more than anything. Gabriel remembered that Rowena was the one that taught him how to negotiate. He'd been expecting this.  "Than what are you proposing?" Sam asked, making Rowena's eyes twinkle. </p><p>"Well..." She drew the word out, making both Sam and Gabriel pay full attention to her offer. "I was thinking I could buy those 10 percent for 80.000 dollars." She pursed her lips as she regarded the two of them. So Sam really had been expecting it. 80.000 dollars was the amount they realistically budgeted in the first place. </p><p>"Hmmm." Sam hummed. He turned to Gabriel. "What do you think?" </p><p>They already discussed that Sam would do the negotiation, but it was good to know the final decision was still something both of them had to be okay with. A small nod told Gabriel Sam was ready to agree to the offer if Gabriel was too. But there was something else Sam wanted, something he was sure Rowena would do on her own. Still, if Sam thought Gabriel anything, it was that documentation and explicate agreements mattered. With a grin he turned to Rowena. "I think it's <em>almost</em> a fair price. I do understand that you're worried about the lack of experience between the two of us." </p><p>"Oh?" Rowena looked intrigued by the comment. Her eyes flickered over to Sam before a soft grin spread over her face. </p><p>When Gabriel followed her gaze, he understood. Sam looked somewhere between proud and horrified. But since he didn't intervene, it seemed like he trusted Gabriel enough to be part of the negotiations. "Like you said, both of us are completely new to starting a business." He repeated. Beside him, the feeling of horrified had definitely won in Sam's mind, although he tried to mask it with a tight lipped smile. They hadn't discussed any of this, but Sam would have to put some trust in that Gabriel charm he praised as an asset. "But," Gabriel continued, his tone loud and clear enough to draw back both Sam's and Rowena's attention to Gabriel's argument. "We are great at what we do. We are reliable and we have a great product." </p><p>"Which is why I offered what I consider a quite generous amount, taking the risk into consideration." Rowena's eyes were on him like a hawk.</p><p>If Gabriel hadn't had a lifetime of experience in speaking before thinking, he probably would feel like he said something wrong. But this wasn't the look of someone he offended. He surprised her maybe, but even he knew a surprise hand could be helpful during negotiations. "True," he admitted. "But wouldn't it be better to reduce the risk instead?" </p><p>Rowena's eyebrows shot up. "And how do you suppose we do that?" </p><p>"Help us." Gabriel shrugged. He could see a smirk pulling at her lips as she lifted her eyebrows, waiting for him to continue. "I'd say that having you as an official advisor would be very beneficial to all of us. It would certainly take away a lot of risk if we had someone with your level of experience to guide us through the first years." </p><p>"You know they say flattery gets you nowhere, Gabriel." She squinted, zeroing in on him. She let the silence hang for a moment, seeing if he'd speak up first. When he didn't she grinned. "But we both know that's a lie. So if I understand what you're saying, you want me to up my bid <em>and </em>work as your advisor." </p><p>That wasn't actually what he had been trying to say. He just wanted their contract to say Rowena would be taking an advisory role, this wasn't a ploy to get more money. "Yes." </p><p>"Okay," She nodded slowly. "How does five thousand extra sound? In exchange you will have to attend at least twelve different events I deem useful as your advisor. </p><p>"Sam?" Gabriel asked, turning to his partner. </p><p>Sam was obviously trying to hide how flabbergasted he was with Gabriel's deal. "Sound good." He nodded, his eyes still wide. </p><p>"Then it sounds good to me too." Gabriel added with a grin. "Now what what adjustments did you want to suggest?" </p><p> </p><p>They went over Rowena's notes, which mainly focused on shifting a few deadlines and slightly altering the mission statement. After that, they went over the clauses and provisions of the shareholder agreement to make a draft. Since they agreed on the general terms the draft was pretty quickly finished. Rowena grinned as she closed her laptop. "I've send it off to the notary to make up the contracts." She got up to escort them back out. "You drive a good bargain Gabriel, I'm impressed. But just so you know,"  She added with smirk. "You can shoot higher next time, I would have added 10.000 if you countered." </p><p>Gabriel's smirk grew. "I was only going for the advisory role. So every dollar you offered on your own was a win." </p><p>Luckily Rowena didn't mind being out played and called out on it. "Good play Gabriel, you too Sam. I can see this working out marvelously." She assured them. "Any chance you're free next weekend to test that wit." </p><p>"What's next weekend?"</p><p>"A friend of a friend invited me to the kick off for the new business district the city is building. Lots of start-ups and young entrepreneurs.  We need to get your software known by these young business first. They don't have the intertwining mess of software older companies tend to have. They are usually also more open to giving actual feedback instead of complaining and that's what we need." Rowena explained. She turned to Sam. "I'm sure you know the drill, professional but approachable look, practice your pitch and carry some business cards. I'll send you two the invitation by email." She seemed as pleased as Sam and Gabriel are with their deal. </p><p> </p><p>After they said their farewells and Rowena closed the door, Sam turned to Gabriel instantly. "That was incredible." There was a warmth to the words, expressing a pride in the way Gabriel handled himself. "It takes a lot to impress Rowena, trust me." </p><p>"Seems like I impressed you too." Gabriel teased. </p><p>Sam shook his head. "You always do." He chuckled lightly. He took out his phone and typed a quick message. "I promised Donna I'd let her know if we got the offer." </p><p>"Be sure to brag about me." Gabriel smirked as he got into the car. He was glad Sam was restoring his old friendships. Donna even asked him to come to a barbeque at Jo's next week so he could see the old group again. </p><p>When Sam finished he drove them to the apartment Gabriel already considered home. As soon as they were inside, greeted eagerly by the cats, Sam wrapped his arms around Gabriel. "I still can't believe it. This was what we needed." The full weight of what happened seemed to only sink in now. "This is the start of something better, I can feel it." </p><p>"Me too." Gabriel agreed as he pulled Sam closer. His life before Sam seemed miles away. He didn't even want to think about all the days he spend doing something he didn't like for people that didn't like him. The only light in his life had been his friends and his cats, and both were still close. But now he got to work on projects he loved with the man he loved. It would be a lot of work, but it would be worth it all. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is the last chapter. I'm already going through the story and editing it, since I think my writing style has improved slightly over the last year, and I want the whole story to be stylist the same. <br/>There is an epilogue coming, which I'll post when I've gone through the whole thing for edits, but the main story is done. <br/>(this might take some time since I'm working on other projects as well - I can't wait to finish my sequel to 'saying it' and 'praying it') </p><p>I want to thank everyone that read and especially those that left kudos and comments. Each week I the kind words helped me so much and made me so happy. You're amazing &lt;3</p><p>I hope you enjoyed reading this!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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